Chelsea made the decision during the winter January transfer window to prioritise getting some of their bloated first team squad regular minutes with loan moves away.
Many players who had put in a lot of the work in the Conference League group stages saw themselves move on, with them currently enjoying mixed fortunes at their new sides.
One individual who was granted a much-needed change of environment was Carney Chukwuemeka, who moved to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.
Opportunities had been extremely limited for the young midfielder since Enzo Maresca came to Stamford Bridge, with his only start of the season coming amongst a host of youngsters in the freezing conditions against Astana.
It was perhaps a surprise to some that he moved to Dortmund. Thiago Silva was stunned to see Chukwuemeka make his first appearance for his new side in the Champions League.
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Borussia Dortmund want Carney Chukwuemeka on another loan
It was previously reported that Dortmund wanted Chukwuemeka permanently, however were going to struggle to do so based on their position in the Bundesliga.
Now though, according to Ruhr Nachrichten, they have made the call to not sign him permanently, however are keen on him staying on at the club.
The report goes on to say that the German side would be keen on keeping Chukwuemeka for another loan after this one comes to an end, although this would rely on them qualifying for Europe.
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
They currently sit 11th in the table, 10 points off the top four and Champions League football next season.
The Blues have got themselves in problems before by allowing players to constantly leave on loan. It took until this summer for Romelu Lukaku to find a new permanent home after multiple temporary switches away.
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Carney Chukwuemeka’s Dortmund career so far
Injury issues that have unfortunately been a common theme for Chukwuemeka in his senior career so far, and they have not left him alone since moving across Europe either.
However, he has made five appearances off the bench for his new club, although has not yet started in either the Bundesliga or Champions League.
Given his limited minutes at Chelsea under Maresca, it feels unlikely that they will be looking towards a future that involves Chukwuemeka.
However, any permanent sale will likely see them need to lower their valuation, after no one met that fee on Saturday.