Why Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka may not be sold to Borussia Dortmund this summer

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea loaned Carney Chukwuemeka to Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window.

The midfielder was looking to leave Chelsea after failing to make a single appearance in the Premier League.

Chukwuemeka got his wish and is now enjoying life at Dortmund, though it is still early days. If the German club want to sign him permanently, however, there could be a problem.

He is yet to actually make a start for Dortmund, with Niko Kovac trying to ease Chukwuemeka in slowly after a small knee injury.

• READ MORE: Former Chelsea midfielder heaps praise on Carney Chukwuemeka after Borussia Dortmund loan, Peter Crouch agrees

Borussia Dortmund need Champions League qualification to sign Carney Chukwuemeka permanently

Kovac’s side are currently 10th in the Bundesliga table and seven points behind fourth place.

It is not the largest gap to close, but there are a lot of teams currently above them, so there is no guarantee that Dortmund are going to make it into the Champions League spots. Fail to do that, and they are unlikely to purchase Chukwuemeka in the summer.

According to Bild, Dortmund will only be able to sign the 21-year-old permanently if they qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season.

Chukwuemeka will be desperate for them to, as it is unlikely that he will want to return to Chelsea while Enzo Maresca is still at the club.

The Chelsea boss never gave him a look-in and there is nothing to suggest that would change in the 2025/26 campaign. The Blues could sign another midfielder before then, which would make things even more difficult for Chukwuemeka.

There is a feeling that Kobbie Mainoo will not be on the market, though, so that is one name that Chelsea may have to scratch off.

Carney Chukwuemeka’s impact versus Union Berlin

Chukwuemeka is already showing what Maresca let get away after impressing in his cameo against Union Berlin on Saturday.

The former Aston Villa academy player was only on the pitch for 20 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, but he managed to make an impact.

As per Sofascore, Chukwuemeka made one key pass, created one big chance and completed the one dribble he attempted.

All in all, albeit a short one, Chukwuemeka’s Bundesliga debut went to plan. Keep playing like that, and Dortmund will definitely want to keep him.