European giants unwilling to sign €35 million-rated Chelsea star permanently, keen to sign him on loan for second season running: Reports
According to Sky Sports Germany, Borussia Dortmund are not considering signing Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea on a permanent deal this summer. The 21-year-old, who joined the Blues from Aston Villa in 2022, is currently on a loan deal with the BVB until the end of the season.
Chukwuemeka joined Dortmund in February but has yet to cement his position as a key player for the Bundesliga outfit. Instead, his time at the club has been marred by injuries. He has managed just 231 minutes of game time in nine appearances across competitions while scoring only one goal.
When Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea in 2022, he was touted as one of the best young midfield prospects in the Premier League. However, fitness issues curtailed his game time in his first two seasons at the west London club before the depth of talent in midfield limited his role within the squad. With just five outings, he barely featured for the Blues in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign before his loan move to Dortmund materialized.
While Dortmund secured Chukwuemeka’s signature on loan, they have a purchase option of €35 million to seal a permanent move for the English midfielder. Although the 21-year-old has played only a few games for the Black and Yellows, the club’s hierarchy are reportedly convinced about him and are interested in retaining him.
As per Sky, Dortmund have two options to keep Chukwuemeka at Signal Iduna Park beyond this season. The first is that they could try to negotiate with Chelsea regarding the purchase option price and lower it. The other option is that they could consider extending his loan deal. As per the reports, the Bundesliga side are leaning towards the latter, as the €35 million fee is beyond their budget.
Meanwhile, Chukwuemeka’s current value is €15 million, as per Transfermarkt. He is contracted with Chelsea until 2028.
Chelsea in direct contact for Liga Portugal striker – Reports
Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Blues' struggles in front of goal have persisted, with their last match in the Premier League ending in a 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town (Sunday, April 13).
Gyokeres has been in scintillating form for Sporting CP this season, having scored 44 goals and provided 11 assists in 45 appearances across competitions.
Chelsea have been monitoring Gyokeres’ situation since last year, with initial reports claiming they were among the four Premier League clubs interested in the striker. Although they didn’t make a formal offer for the 26-year-old at the time, the Blues have now reportedly taken steps in pursuit of the player.
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea have directly contacted Viktor Gyokeres’ representatives to confirm they are still interested in signing the striker this summer. Blues manager Enzo Maresca is believed to see the Swede as a solution to his striker search, as he wants a more experienced No. 9 to compete with Nicolas Jackson.
The reports added that the Blues have told the player’s camp that a deal around €70-75 million would be fair. As per Transfermarkt, Gyokeres’ current market value is €75 million, and he is contracted with Sporting CP until 2028.