Borussia Dortmund has signed Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka on loan until the end of the season. The loan deal includes an option to buy this upcoming summer worth around $40 million. The transfer was concluded just in time for the winter transfer window to close for Bundesliga clubs on Monday afternoon.
“Carney is an extremely talented box-to-box player who has made a real impression in the Premier League at a young age – it’s no surprise that he has played for all the England youth teams from U17 onwards,” sporting director Sebastian Kehl said in a club statement.
What can Chukwuemeka add to Dortmund? “His dynamism, his attacking mindset and his confidence, combined with his outstanding quality as a footballer, make him an exciting addition to our squad,” Kehl said. “His development stalled recently in London, but despite not having played regularly, we think he offers huge potential, and we hope that Carney can rediscover what makes him such a good player here.”
Chelsea originally signed Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa in a deal worth €18 million ($18.5 million) in 2022. However, the 21-year-old English midfielder, who was born in Eisenstadt, Austria, struggled to play time at the Blues. Since joining the club, Chukwuemeka has managed just 32 appearances (two goals and one assist) across all competitions.
This season, the midfielder has managed just 130 minutes of playing time across five games for Chelsea’s first team. Considering that, the player’s camp heavily pushed for an exit this winter.
In the meantime, Dortmund has been desperate to add to their squad. The Black and Yellows have struggled all season and currently sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga with just 29 points from 20 games. Last season’s Champions League finalist fired head coach Nuri Sahin and replaced him with Niko Kovac.
The new Croatian head coach officially took over on Sunday, and it has been a busy first 48 hours for Kovac. With Kovac now in charge, the club’s decision-makers had to move quickly to address the squad’s weaknesses.
Earlier on Monday, Dortmund signed left-back Daniel Svensson from Danish club Nordsjaelland. The Black and Yellows also added goalkeeper Diant Ramaj from Ajax. Right after signing his contract the German goalkeeper was loaned to Copenhagen. Ramaj is considered a potential replacement for Gregor Kobel, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea.
Another transfer that didn’t go across the line was Rayan Cherki. Cherki alongside Chukwuemeka was considered a crucial transfer for the club this winter. But negotiations with Olympique Lyon were shut down by American owner John Textor.
As a result, Dortmund’s only two additions for this winter are Svensson and Chukwuemeka, the latter of which is crucial for the club’s squad going forward. Dortmund’s midfield has struggled this season, and the hope is that box-to-box midfielder Chukwuemeka can help address some of the squad’s weaknesses.
Whether it will work is a different question. The Englishman arrives without playing time and will have to hit the ground running quickly to make a difference for Kovac’s squad. But if Chukwuemeka can rediscover his Aston Villa form, then Dortmund might have found an absolute steal in this winter’s transfer market.
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