Borussia Dortmund have confirmed they want to sign Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka on a permanent deal following his loan spell in Germany.
Borussia Dortmund Confirm Interest in Signing Chelsea Midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka
The 21-year-old joined Dortmund on a short-term loan in January after struggling for minutes at Chelsea under manager Enzo Maresca.
Despite making just 17 appearances only two of which were starts Chukwuemeka left a positive impression at the Bundesliga club.
Speaking after Dortmund’s Club World Cup exit at the hands of Real Madrid, the club’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl publicly expressed their desire to bring the England U21 international back to Signal Iduna Park.
“Carney’s loan ends today. That was what we agreed with Chelsea. Now, let’s see,” Kehl said.
“We will definitely have some more discussions in the next few days about his situation. It won’t be easy, but for sure we will try to keep him because he’s a very good player.”
Chukwuemeka moved to Stamford Bridge from Aston Villa in 2022 for around £15 million, but has struggled to nail down a consistent role in Chelsea’s midfield. Under Maresca, he featured just five times last season and started only once.
With Chelsea spending heavily again this summer having already signed Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Joao Pedro, and Liam Delap among others Chukwuemeka’s future at the club appears increasingly uncertain.
Dortmund are reportedly open to extending the midfielder’s stay, either through a second loan or a permanent deal with an option to buy.
However, Chelsea are said to be holding out for a fee close to Chukwuemeka’s £40 million release clause, which may prove too steep for the German side.
Talks between the two clubs have reportedly been ongoing since May, and Dortmund remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached.
As Dortmund weigh up their options, Chukwuemeka’s next step could be decisive in reigniting his once-promising career.
