We’re just a few weeks away from the opening of the January transfer window now, and while we don’t expect there to be many new arrivals at Chelsea, who already have a big squad capable of putting out two different XIs, we do expect some departures.
Despite there being 22 spots a week up for grabs, there are still some players getting few to no minutes, and one of them is Carney Chukwuemeka.
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He really impressed last season when given a sniff by Mauricio Pochettino, but injury ruined his run in the team and he clearly didn’t impress the sporting directors or Enzo Maresca, who looked to flog him last summer. They couldn’t manage it, and he’s since been rotting on the bench, blessed with the occasional 5 Conference League minutes here and there. He will surely be desperate to get out and play a soon as possible.
Carney Chukwuemeka in preseason action.
Carney Chukwuemeka in preseason action.
Clubs close in on Chukwuemeka
The good news is that there’s interest – pretty serious interest it seems. AC Milan have been mentioned in connection with Carney so many times we’re starting to believe it – and the latest update from CalcioMercato is full of convincing detail.
The midfielder is apparently “a real obsession” of Milan sporting director Geoffrey Moncada, who wants to take him on loan with an option to buy.
We’re not sure how Chelsea would feel about that – they need permanent sales to balance the books, but given their struggles to shift Chukwuemeka in the summer, and given how little he’s playing now, they may consider this a necessary evil.
Celtic are also mentioned as interested – but that seems far less likely.
As the window gets closer, we expect more and more on this front – whether it’s to Milan or elsewhere, it’s in everyone’s interest to get Carney moved.