Chelsea could sell one of their outcasts to another Premier League club this summer.
Right now, Chelsea are trying to offload several players, including the likes of Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Felix could return to Benfica, while Sterling is being linked with a move to Juventus.
Chukwuemeka also has interest from abroad, namely Germany, but the midfielder could end up staying in England.
Premier League clubs want Carney Chukwuemeka on permanent deal
RB Leipzig are interested in signing Chukwuemeka, as are Borussia Dortmund following the 21-year-old’s loan spell there last season.
Chukwuemeka would like to return to Dortmund, but Telegraph journalist Matt Law has revealed that there are Premier League clubs who want to buy the former Aston Villa man.
That is complicating things for Dortmund, who only want to do a loan deal, something that Chelsea are firmly against.
Speaking on the London Is Blue podcast, Law said: “Carney, I’m told, still would prefer Dortmund. Carney wants to go back to Dortmund; he likes it in Dortmund. The problem is that, so far, Dortmund have only proposed a loan, which Chelsea aren’t prepared to do.
“And the fact that they seem to have interest from Leipzig — I’m told there’s also interest from the Premier League in permanent deals — means that a Dortmund loan isn’t going to be pursued at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea are hoping to sign Xavi Simons from Leipzig. Selling Chukwuemeka to Leipzig could help that deal go through, but the Blues will not be able to use him to their advantage in negotiations for Simons if they decide to go down the route of selling to a Premier League rival.
What Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has said about Carney Chukwuemeka
Niko Kovac is likely to be one person at Dortmund pushing for the club to re-sign Chukwuemeka.
The Dortmund manager is a big fan of the England youth international, describing his playing style as “unique”.
“Carney came in and was sensationally good,” Kovac was quoted as saying by The Athletic following Chukwuemeka’s debut. “We saw what skills he has and the way he takes possession of the ball and how quickly he turns and carries forward. That’s really unique.
“He has really good acceleration and technique. He’ll bring us joy if he stays healthy.”
Despite the talent that Chukwuemeka possesses, Enzo Maresca does not have space for him in his Chelsea squad, hence his initial loan to Dortmund.
In attack, the Chelsea head coach has Cole Palmer, for example. Deeper, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are the two starting midfielders.
Ultimately, for Chukwuemeka to get game time next season, he needs to leave Chelsea. But until a permanent offer arrives for him, that looks difficult.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
