Chelsea ‘to sell overrated Carney Chukwuemeka’ after Astana start
Carney Chukwuemeka put in a lacklustre performance against Astana in a rare start for Chelsea despite the 3-1 victory and fans have reacted.
While the England U21 international has struggled to secure a consistent starting spot under Enzo Maresca, he finally started in the Blues’ Conference League tie against Astana on 12 December.
He has made just five appearances this season, with four in the Conference League and one in the EFL Cup. However, he has only managed a total of 130 minutes, mostly coming on as a substitute.
The 21-year-old signed for £20 million [BBC Sport] from Aston Villa in 2022 when he was just 18. Highly regarded at the time, he has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge due to injuries and inconsistent form.
Enzo Maresca unlikely to be swayed despite Chelsea win
Last season, the Chelsea midfielder started well before suffering a significant injury, featuring in only 12 matches across all competitions, with two goals and one assist.
Fans had hoped to see more minutes, so making his start tonight among an extremely youthful line-up was his chance to impress. It was his first since August of last year. However, his performance left many disappointed, leading to his substitution.
This follows reports that Chelsea might sell Chukwuemeka permanently. Premier League clubs have also shown interest, closely monitoring his progress. But there are concerns of his lack of game time since leaving Aston Villa.
Fans shared their reactions on X after the match. One fan claimed the performance “is getting him sold” while another described him as “really poor” and said: “No wonder the club wants to sell him”.
Others expressed sympathy but even they shared their disappointment, with one saying: “It hasn’t been Carney’s game”.
In other news, Chelsea loaning Marc Guiu would be “invaluable” to him.
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