Borussia Dortmund have reportedly decided how they wish to proceed with the future of Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.
Having failed to seal a loan move during the summer, Chukwuemeka remained at Stamford Bridge and was left to settle for 130 minutes of action spread across five substitute appearances in the EFL Cup and Conference League.
As a result, a temporary switch elsewhere in the winter transfer window was always on the cards and the 21-year-old would end up at Dortmund looking to kick-start his career.
Chukwuemeka's progress at Westfalenstadion has been hampered by niggly injuries, yet he has still made two starts and eight substitute outings in all competitions.
Most notably, he was selected from the start in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Barcelona, an indication that he is liked by current head coach Niko Kovac.
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What decision have Dortmund made?
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Dortmund intend to hold discussions with Chelsea in an effort to retain the services of the England Under-20 international.
As it stands, it is unclear whether the Bundesliga outfit would prefer a permanent or loan deal, with terms needing to be negotiated with their Chelsea counterparts.
Chukwuemeka will be left delighted with his game time this month, already accumulating 212 minutes across four games and netting versus Freiburg.
Dortmund have also collected 10 points from their most recent four fixtures in Germany's top flight, moving them into seventh place and keeping the club in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Providing that Kovac retains his role at Dortmund as expected, Chukwuemeka may be viewed as a key part of his squad for 2025-26.
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What is Chelsea's stance?
Enzo Maresca has always insisted that he is an admirer of Chukwuemeka but wants to see the former Aston Villa starlet have a season where he can play 30 to 35 matches.
Unless the Italian openly reintegrates Chukwuemeka back into his squad for next season, that is not going to happen at Chelsea, and another loan may suit all parties when the player has a contract with the Blues until 2028.
Although Dortmund allegedly already have a buy-out option of €35m (£30m), it is not realistic to expect them to activate it based on Chukwuemeka's current minutes.
With Chelsea also not needing to budge on their previous stance, another loan agreement with an option to buy appears most likely.
Darren Plant
