Crystal Palace prepared to offer out-of-favour Chelsea star a new lease of life
It was recently learned that Chelsea have slapped Carney Chukwuemeka with a £40 million price tag and have no plans to send the 20-year-old out for a loan spell this summer if indeed he were not to have a place in Enzo Maresca’s plans.
AC Milan were quick to register interest in his signing as they were keen on adding a young central midfielder to their squad but have been shied away by the Blues’ asking price. According to TeamTALK’s Rudy Galetti, the Rossoneri are now set to explore alternate choices and will not pursue a deal for the former Aston Villa starlet.
After a fast start to life at Villa Park, the Blues were quick to snap onto his services in 2022. While his first season was above average and perhaps exceeded expectations, Chukwuemeka was troubled with two major injuries in 2023/24 and was relegated to the bench thereafter owing to strong competition for places at Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, there were doubts regarding his future with Chelsea only two years after signing on. The London-based giants have adopted a clear stance regarding a potential loan and as well have ruled out negotiating a fee of less than £40 million if the 20-year-old wishes to depart on a permanent deal elsewhere.
It is unlikely that Chelsea will force Chukwuemeka out of the club this year. Instead, they are looking to sell Conor Gallagher to balance their books as he is an academy graduate and will show absolute profitability in their accounting.
Gallagher was Mauricio Pochettino’s trusted man in midfield and was brilliant in central midfield, thereby limiting Chukwuemeka’s involvement. However, his departure could open the door for the youngster to play more regular minutes under Maresca.
It is fair to say that owing to his rapid progression at Aston Villa and having been promising in his early days at Chelsea, Chukwuemeka has earned the right to have sufficient time to put his injury issues behind him to earn a starring role at the club.
The first half of the season will be crucial for him in that regard, and any lapses could mean he becomes available for sale in the winter transfer market midway through the campaign.
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