Chelsea's promising midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is set to join Borussia Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season, with the German club agreeing to cover his salary as part of the arrangement. The 21-year-old talent is expected to arrive in Germany on Sunday evening and undergo medical examinations the following day.
The move comes after Dortmund intensified their pursuit of Chukwuemeka, following initial interest expressed at the start of the transfer window. The deal had temporarily stalled during the club's managerial transition, which saw Nuri Sahin's departure and Niko Kovac's appointment. The new head coach has since given his approval for the transfer, leading to further negotiations in the past 24 hours after Chelsea rejected a preliminary proposal on Saturday.
Strasbourg, the Ligue 1 club under the same BluCo ownership as Chelsea, had emerged as another potential destination for Chukwuemeka. This possibility arose after they created a third loan spot from the London club following Caleb Wiley's cancelled temporary deal earlier this month.
Chelsea's willingness to loan Chukwuemeka to Dortmund was first reported on January 14, though the club insisted on specific playing time guarantees and economic conditions. The London club had set a substantial £40million ($48.7m) release clause for any permanent transfer interest from other clubs.
Since his £20million ($25m) move from Aston Villa in summer 2022, Chukwuemeka's Chelsea career has faced challenges. Despite making 15 appearances in his debut season, a knee injury requiring surgery limited his involvement to just 12 games in the following campaign. This season has been particularly challenging for the young midfielder, who has yet to feature in the Premier League and has made just one start across all competitions - in Chelsea's Conference League match against Astana in December.
While still awaiting his first senior international cap, Chukwuemeka has represented England at various youth levels from under-17 to under-20. His current contract at Stamford Bridge extends until 2028, suggesting Chelsea's long-term faith in his potential despite the temporary move to Germany.
