Chelsea 'STUNNED' by failure to sell €50m star

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 3 Sept 2024 19:45 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are reportedly “stunned” by their inability to offload Carney Chukwuemeka during the summer transfer window.

The 20-year-old is yet to feature in a matchday squad so far this season and he was expected to leave Stamford Bridge before the end of Transfer Deadline Day.

However, Chukwuemeka remains a Chelsea player to the surprise of many within the club.

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That is according to GiveMeSport, who report that the Blues were certain they would be able to offload the England youth international.

Manchester United, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Barcelona were all linked with signing Chukwuemeka this summer, but they weren’t willing to trigger his €47.4 million (£40m) release clause or match his wage demands.

As a result, the former Aston Villa academy star is now in limbo and faces the prospect of spending the next four months watching on from the sidelines.

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Chukwuemeka has made 27 appearances in all competitions since joining Chelsea in 2022, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

His contract with the Blues doesn’t expire until 2028, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at just €4m due to his lack of game time over the past year.

Carney Chukwuemeka at Chelsea

While the departure of Conor Gallagher looked to have opened the door for Chukwuemeka to become a key player at Chelsea, the Englishman has fallen even further down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca.

Romel Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are all favoured in a slightly more reserved midfield role, while Cole Palmer, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku are battling for the No.10 position.

Therefore, Chukwuemeka is unlikely to establish himself as a regular at Stamford Bridge anytime soon.

In addition to the ex-Villa star, David Datro Fofana and Ben Chilwell also remain at Chelsea, despite the club’s desire to sell them this summer.