Chelsea in talks over €35m deal for 'top, top player'

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Apr 2025 15:27 BST
3 min read

Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka has been hailed as a 'top, top player' amid ongoing talks over his future.

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The England youth international is spending the second half of the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund after being essentially exiled by Enzo Maresca, who repeatedly stated that it would be better for Chukwuemeka to leave Chelsea.

Current ETV

Carney Chukwuemeka

M (C)

Dortmund

Carney Chukwuemeka

M (C)

Dortmund

ETV Range

€17M - €20.7M

The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries and the constant coaching changes at Stamford Bridge since joining in 2022, so his eventual departure had felt inevitable for some time.

Chukwuemeka arrived in Germany with some fitness issues and a severe lack of match sharpness, which meant that it took a while for him to get his first minutes.

His debut against Union Berlin was very promising, but he struggled for consistent game time afterwards, and it quickly became clear that Dortmund would not make his loan permanent.

Chukwuemeka stars in first start

The purchase option Dortmund managed to secure in the talks with Chelsea stands at a whopping €35 million, which would make Chukwuemeka their joint-record signing. It is therefore unsurprising that they are unlikely to trigger this option, especially as they are at risk of missing out on Champions League football.

However, they have nevertheless engaged in new negotiations with Chelsea of late due to the Club World Cup in the summer. His loan deal expires on July 1 and Dortmund are currently in talks over extending his stay for the duration of the tournament.

© IMAGO - Felix Nmecha and Carney Chukwuemeka

While this is happening in the background, Chukwuemeka was handed his first start by Niko Kovac on Saturday. He put in an impressive performance in a 4-1 rout of Freiburg and scored his first goal, although helped by a deflection.

After the game, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel described him as a 'top, top player' whose 'brutal quality' was evident 'from the first day.' Coach Kovac similarly praised the young midfielder.

"Carney is simply a lovely footballer, who had to catch up a little [with his fitness]. Today, he again showed what he is capable of, this time from the first minute. I'm delighted that he was able to reward his performance with a goal."