Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has expressed his desire to keep Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka at the club. The 21-year-old joined Dortmund on loan in February and made 16 appearances last season, scoring one goal.
Chukwuemeka was also part of Dortmund's World Cup squad, with Chelsea extending his loan for the knockout stages. However, following Dortmund's quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid, Chukwuemeka's loan has now ended, but Kehl believes this may not be the last time he plays for Dortmund.
"Carney's loan ends today," Kehl said after the 3-2 defeat by Real Madrid. "That's what was agreed with Chelsea. Now let's see. We will definitely have some discussions in the coming days about his situation. I think it was a good move for Carney to join us."
Carney Chukwuemeka is valued by Chelsea at £40m, the same amount as his release clause, making a permanent move difficult for Dortmund. However, Dortmund have been told they are open to another loan, potentially with an option or obligation to buy, and discussions to keep Chukwuemeka have been ongoing since May.
Kehl stressed that it is easier to loan a player than to buy one, especially for the price of Carney Chukwuemeka. “We are not that far along in the talks at the moment, but I can tell you that we are quite close to the player, and he loves Dortmund,” he added. “Everything else will be decided between Chelsea and us. It will not happen tomorrow, nor on Tuesday. I think it will take a few more days to decide.”
