Chelsea have reportedly decided to sell one of their players during the upcoming January transfer window.
Despite a busy summer of transfers, including the sale of Romelu Lukaku, the club still has a few players they couldn’t offload.
Among them are Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka, who have remained on the fringes of the squad.
Although both players were reintegrated into the first-team squad, they have struggled to find regular playing time under manager Enzo Maresca, who has made it clear they are not part of his core plans moving forward.
Chilwell and Chukwuemeka were initially placed in what is referred to as the “bomb squad” during preseason—a group of players the manager does not see as essential to his strategy.
Speaking specifically about Chukwuemeka, Maresca mentioned, “Carney is a very good player, but given the number of players we have, it would be better for him to move elsewhere, play 30 or 35 games, and prove himself rather than staying here and getting fewer chances.”
However, Chukwuemeka’s potential move failed to materialize over the summer, and he remains at Stamford Bridge.
While Maresca has given him some playing time, Chukwuemeka was left out of Chelsea’s most recent match, although the manager expressed hope for him to see more minutes in the future.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea are actively planning to sell Chukwuemeka during the January window.
The club is working on finding a suitable destination for him, particularly after his failure to secure consistent playing time since being signed for £20 million from Aston Villa in 2022.
Chukwuemeka has found it challenging to break into Chelsea’s starting lineup despite his potential, and his lack of regular minutes has made his future at the club uncertain.
Romano explained that Chelsea had been open to letting Chukwuemeka leave during the summer transfer window, but only if a club could guarantee him substantial playing time.
Teams like AC Milan had expressed interest but were turned down as they couldn’t offer him a regular spot in the starting XI.
As Romano noted, “Maresca has always been straightforward with his players, and during the summer window, Chelsea wanted Chukwuemeka to join a club where he could play at least 38 games, not one where he would spend most of his time on the bench.”
Given that Chukwuemeka has remained at Chelsea without gaining consistent minutes, the club is now expected to push for a move in January.
Both Chelsea and the player agree that staying on the sidelines is not beneficial for his development, and negotiations are already underway to find a team that will give him the opportunities he needs to play regularly.