The 2023/24 season has not been easy for Chelsea. Under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues have limped to ninth place in the Premier League, on 44 points. Whilst they have games in hand, they are currently a massive 16 points off fifth place, a potential Champions League spot.
According to Goal.com, Chelsea have spent an incredible £1b under the ownership of Todd Boehly. This includes smashing the Premier League’s record transfer twice, first signing Enzo Fernandez for £107m in January 2023, before their signing of Moises Caicedo for a fee of £115m last summer broke the record again.
Aside from Fernandez and Caicedo, some of Chelsea’s big-money signings include the likes of Raheem Sterling, who cost the Blues £50m from Manchester City, and French attacker Christopher Nkunku, from RB Leipzig, for £52.
However, there is one particular signing made by Chelsea who is slipping under the radar. The deal, completed in August 2022, saw Chelsea sign one of the best young talents in the Premier League and that certain someone could now finally step up following an injury to Fernandez.
The Argentine has displayed signs of his immense potential since arriving in England but is now nursing a knock which requires medical assessment ahead of their clash with Everton on Monday night.
A move that slipped under the radar
The man in question here is the former Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, for whom Chelsea paid the Villans just £20m to acquire his services. Chukwuemeka, who was 18 years old when he joined the club, agreed to sign a six-year contract at Chelsea.
It was an impressive deal for the Blues to conduct, not least because they brought in one of the most exciting English midfield talents for a relatively small price considering the state of the modern-day transfer market.
Chelsea beat some of Europe’s top clubs to sign Chukwuemeka, including Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, with London rivals Arsenal also rumoured to be interested at the time, according to Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports.
Chukwuemeka made 16 appearances for Aston Villa before departing for London in 2022, and he has already made 26 for Chelsea.
Why Chelsea must now unleash Chukwuemeka
Austrian-born Chukwuemeka has struggled with injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge so far, including a recurring knee injury he originally picked up against West Ham towards the start of the season, yet there is no doubt he is an exceptional talent.
This season, in his 26 appearances, the 20-year-old has scored twice, in the Premier League against West Ham and the FA Cup against Leicester, as well as picking up an assist in the Premier League against Liverpool.
He is superb between the lines, an attacking midfielder who loves to get on the ball and make things happen in the final third, where he averages 30.9 touches in the Premier League this season, as per Fbref.
Chukwuemeka is a progressive midfield player, whose first thought is always to look forwards. According to Fbref, only Cole Palmer averages more passes into the penalty area per 90 for Chelsea in the Premier League, with 2.62, just bettering Chukwuemeka’s 2.61.
The 20-year-old is a superb dribbler and despite his lanky 6 foot 1 frame, can slalom in and out of defenders with impressive agility.
Where Chukwuemeka excels most is in pockets of space between the lines, where he receives the ball on the half-turn, before turning and looking to progress Chelsea forward. This is largely a profile Chelsea have lacked this season, especially with constant injuries for Nkunku.
Back in 2020, Chukwuemeka was described as an “absolute 10/10 talent” by scout Jacek Kulig. Now, as he becomes more experienced as a professional footballer, that “10/10 talent” is looking to cement down a place in the Blues’ starting XI.
With injuries to star men disrupting Chelsea’s season, perhaps, now fully fit again, Chukwuemeka is the man to come into their team and make a place in the midfield his own.
The ever-improving Fernandez looks to be injured ahead of Chelsea’s next game against Everton and should the young Chelsea star be handed a start against the Toffees instead, he has a real chance to make a big impact on Pochettino’s side, and potentially secure a starting spot for the rest of the season.
