Chelsea’s January transfer window could be a busy one as Enzo Maresca opens the door for fringe midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka to leave on loan. With squad depth causing limited opportunities and hefty wage bills, Chelsea will need to negotiate carefully to facilitate any exits, suggest reports from The Mirror.
Leicester’s Interest in Dewsbury-Hall
Just six months after his £30million departure to Chelsea, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has found himself in unfamiliar territory. Once Leicester City’s most vital player, he has been relegated to second-string status at Stamford Bridge, featuring primarily in the Europa Conference League.
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Leicester, unsurprisingly, have registered their interest in bringing Dewsbury-Hall back to the King Power Stadium next month. Maresca himself acknowledged the midfielder’s early struggles, telling the Daily Mail:
“Kiernan was, at Leicester, the most important player. He moved to Chelsea to be one other player. You have to accept that. Probably at the beginning, you struggle to accept that. Now it’s getting better.”
Maresca added that the onus is on Dewsbury-Hall to seize whatever chances come his way:
“For sure for him, he has to continue to work, wait for the chance and take it, in the way he is doing in the Conference League. He is doing OK.”
Crystal Palace Eye Chukwuemeka
Carney Chukwuemeka’s situation mirrors that of Dewsbury-Hall. Since arriving from Aston Villa for £20million as a highly-touted teenage prospect, the 21-year-old has struggled to cement a place in Chelsea’s first team. Long-term admire
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rs Crystal Palace remain interested, and a loan move could provide the consistent minutes Chukwuemeka desperately needs.
Maresca was candid about the midfielder’s future, admitting a summer move would have been ideal:
“Carney is a very good player, but for the amount of players we have, we decided at the beginning of the season it is probably better to leave and go somewhere, prove himself and play 30 or 35 games than being here and play less games.”
Unfortunately for Chukwuemeka, that plan did not materialise. Maresca added:
“He had some minutes the other day, today he was not involved. Hopefully, we can give him more minutes.”
Wage Hurdles and Loan Challenges
Despite Maresca’s openness to loaning out both players, Chelsea’s wage structure poses a significant hurdle. Any potential deal would likely require the club to cover a substantial portion of their salaries. This may deter smaller clubs like Leicester and Crystal Palace from pushing through January moves unless Chelsea agree to a compromise.
Our View – EPL Index Analysis
Concerned Chelsea fans will be watching this situation closely. Both Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka represent unfinished projects that, with the right conditions, could thrive elsewhere. Loan moves are often the best remedy for young talents stuck on the periphery, but Chelsea must learn from past mistakes.
Letting key prospects leave without guarantees of first-team pathways has haunted the Blues before. Players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah famously blossomed away from Stamford Bridge. The club must tread carefully to avoid a repeat scenario, particularly with Chukwuemeka, who remains an exciting midfield option.
From a Leicester perspective, fans would relish Dewsbury-Hall’s return. He was integral to their style of play, and his leadership on the pitch has been sorely missed since his departure. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace supporters would view Chukwuemeka as an excellent addition to bolster midfield creativity.
Chelsea fans, however, are left wondering: are these decisions another short-term fix in an era where long-term planning often feels secondary? Only time will tell if loan spells will reignite the careers of two very talented midfielders.