Todd Buhle He has certainly backed his ambitions since taking office Chelsea In May 2022, signing players from left, right and midfield to the first team and academy teams.
The American has More than £1.2 billion fell on new additions In his roughly three years in West London, Ft Enzo Maresca With all the ammunition needed to succeed in Premier League.
Such erratic dealings have undoubtedly led to previous managers' struggles, but the Italian has eased into life at Stamford Bridge, eventually creating a stable league and cup side.
Such planning will not be to every player's advantage, with many having to make do with minutes on the bench or, at worst, struggling to get any first-team action at all given the sheer number of players currently on the books.
One player has fallen into this category, with the Blues star almost certain to walk away from the Bridge this month, leading to interest from one European club.
The Chelsea star is wanted by the Bundesliga giants
According to Sky Germany journalist, Patrick Berger, Chelsea midfielder Carne Chukwuemeka He is a A goal for Borussia Dortmund in the German League This month, with the possibility of obtaining a loan with an option to purchase.
The 21-year-old joined the Blues from Aston Villa in 2022 For 20 million pounds sterlingBut his time in the capital was limited to say the least, and he found himself on the fringes of the first team as a result.
He just showed up to Combined 131 minutes in all competitions During the 2024/25 season, he will start just one match in the Europa League – with Chukwuemeka pressing for a move at the end of January.
Berger claimed that Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin is a “huge fan” of the English player, following in the footsteps of Ian Maatsen, who joined the German team on loan this time last year.
However, it should He earned £100,000 a week If he moves permanently to Signal Iduna Park, allowing him to leave could be a huge mistake on Maresca's part, which could repeat the mistake he made of allowing previous talents to leave and move to Germany.
Why could Chukwuemeka be a repeat of De Bruyne for Chelsea?
Attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne He joined Chelsea in January 2012 For 6.7 million pounds sterlingbefore rejoining Belgian side Genk on loan for the remainder of the season.
He then spent the following season on loan at German club Werder Bremen, and impressed during his caretaker spell, scoring Ten goals and nine assists In only 34 matches.
That form propelled him into the Blues' first team, but then Only nine matches In the first half of the 2013-2014 season, he joined Wolfsburg permanently For approximately £16.7 million The bank made a profit of £10m, but a decade on, the deal appears to have been a huge mistake.
De Bruyne shined with increased playing time. He scored 20 goals and 35 assists – It eventually led to his £54m move to England to join Manchester City in 2015 – a move that has since allowed him to become one of Europe's leading playmakers.
|
Kevin De Bruyne statistics with Manchester City (2015-2025) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
season |
games |
Objectives |
Helps |
|
2015/16 |
41 |
16 |
13 |
|
2016/17 |
49 |
7 |
20 |
|
2017/18 |
52 |
12 |
21 |
|
2018/19 |
32 |
6 |
10 |
|
2019/20 |
48 |
16 |
22 |
|
2020/21 |
40 |
10 |
18 |
|
2021/22 |
45 |
19 |
14 |
|
2022/23 |
49 |
10 |
28 |
|
2023/24 |
26 |
6 |
17 |
|
2024/25 |
18 |
2 |
3 |
|
the total: |
400 |
104 |
166 |
|
Statistics via Transfermarkt |
|||
The 33-year-old has scored more than that since then 100 times and scored more than 150 assists Under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, he helped the team win five consecutive Premier League titles – something that might have happened to the Blues had they kept the Belgian.
A decade later, Chelsea face a similar prospect in the form of Chukwuemeka who, like De Bruyne, could head to Germany after a limited playing period at the Bridge.
The 21-year-old, who was previously nicknamed “star“The talent of scout Jacek Kulig, he was never given a long spell in the team, especially under Maresca, to prove his ability.
Undoubtedly, given his young age, he is desperate for regular games to reach the potential he reached upon his transfer, which could make a loan deal a better option than a permanent deal.
If it is a permanent transfer, Dortmund would be getting another top English player – potentially following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jody Bellingham – with Chelsea's loss undoubtedly their gain.
