After barely featuring for three seasons at Chelsea after his £20 million move from Aston Villa in 2022, wide midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka finally looks set to move away from Stamford Bridge.
Two-and-a-half campaigns has only yielded 32 appearances in all competitions for the youngster, during which he has scored two goals and made one assist.
As he is still only 21 years of age this may not seem like such a big deal, but when considering he was signed for such a high fee as an 18-year-old, it begs the question as to whether Chukwuemeka has wasted some key developmental years sat rotting on the Chelsea bench.
This is made even more apparent when remembering that the Englishman made 14 appearances and notched one assist for Villa in his last season with the club, nearly half of the time he has spent on the pitch with Chelsea.
Now, however, German giants Dortmund are eyeing up a move for the winger, with bookies seeing them as the clear favourites for his signature. A move to BVB could be exactly what Chukwuemeka needs to get his still blossoming career back on track.
Current favourites
Borussia Dortmund – 1/1
As they have done so many times in the past, Borussia Dortmund are considering a potential move for a young English winger who they can nurture and develop into a world-beating talent. Jadon Sancho and current star player Jamie Gittens are prime examples of this recruitment strategy, with the latter having scored seven times and made a further three assists in 19 Bundesliga matches this season.
However, it was Sancho who begun the trend of Dortmund recruiting English wide players ready for the step up to top flight football, as his standout final campaign for the Yellow and Black yielded 16 goals and 18 assists in all competitions. This granted him a dream move to Manchester United, which, although it did not work out with the Red Devils, kick-started Sancho's career on English soil.
This season has been a total let down for Dortmund, however, as the club sit 11th in the Bundesliga, having sacked manager Nuri Sahin just this week after their abysmal away form continued in a 2-0 away loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Thus, with both Chukwuemeka and Dortmund looking to turn their seasons around, this move really seems to make sense for both parties. 1/1 are the bookies' current price for the Englishman to move to North Rhine-Westphalia, which could still provide some value for punters looking to make a definite return.
Everton – 5/4
If staying on home soil remains an option for Chukwuemeka, then Goodison Park appears to have emerged as an option for the 21-year-old. With returning manager David Moyes back at the helm, results have turned around for the Toffees, as they managed back-to-back wins for the first time this season against Brighton and Tottenham.
One thing is for certain, and that is that Everton are lacking quality in wide areas. An injury sustained on December 14th by Dwight McNeil has really hampered the club, as he is not expected to return until mid-February, having racked up three goals and three assists in the league prior to injury.
With no goal contributions from either Jack Harrison or on-loan winger Jesper Lindstrom, wide areas are the key pain point for the Toffees at present. Thus, 5/4 odds seem sensible as Moyes may look to strengthen his side in the hope of supplying Beto with more scoring opportunities.
Strasbourg – 4/1
A potential French connection for Chukwuemeka, Strasbourg are now being viewed as one of the interested parties keen on prying the Englishman away from Stamford Bridge. Also owned by Todd Boehly's company Clearlake Capital, the move seems to be one engendered by the Chelsea owner's overarching wealth.
However, for Chukwuemeka to move to Strasbourg, Chelsea would have to recall one of their three loanees already playing for their sister side in France, due to loan player regulations. Thus, although 4/1 odds may be tempting for punters, it seems that a full team reshuffle would be highly unlikely just to facilitate a move for the 21-year-old winger.
Lifelong Ipswich Town supporter who recently graduated from Durham University in French and German. Have developed a passion for European football based on my links abroad and am an avid supporter of Werder Bremen and Auxerre. Joined the MFT team in October 2024 and looking to take my first steps into the world of football journalism.
