Chelsea could repeat Serie A transfer trick as 21-year-old 'gives green light' to January move

The former Aston Villa youngster has not been given much of a look-in under new boss Enzo Maresca, despite showing fleeting moments of quality when Mauricio Pochettino was at the helm.

Chukwuemeka has played just four times for the West London giants in all competitions this season, totalling just 63 minutes across one EFL Cup and three Europa Conference League appearances.

The 21-year-old is yet to make a Premier League squad yet alone make a top-flight appearance this season, once again being overlooked for selection for Sunday's exhilarating 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Chukwuemeka's Chelsea contract still has another four years left to run, but the 2003-born product has inevitably been tipped to move on over the winter, either on loan or on a permanent basis.

Chukwuemeka 'says yes' to AC Milan switch

A recent report claimed that the Blues had given him the thumbs-up to depart on a temporary basis in January, when both Celtic and Rangers could compete to bring him to the Scottish Premiership.

However, Italian outlet Calciomercato claims that Chukwuemeka has instead 'said yes' to joining AC Milan, and he is just waiting for the all-clear to make his move to San Siro official.

The ex-Villa youngster is said to be a 'real obsession' of Milan technical director Geoffrey Moncada, who is hopeful of striking a loan deal with an option to make Chukwuemeka's stay permanent.

Milan are not believed to be in pole position to sign Chukwuemeka at this juncture, though, as the report claims that Celtic are at the head of the queue, but Moncada remains in constant dialogue with the midfielder's agent.

Should Milan win the race for Chukwuemeka, the Rossoneri would continue a theme of taking unwanted players off of the Blues' hands, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Christian Pulisic have also found safe haven at San Siro.

Chelsea paid Aston Villa £14.9m to sign Chukwuemeka in the summer of 2022, since when the midfielder has come up with two goals and one assist in 31 appearances for the West London giants in all competitions.

Chukwuemeka - who was born in Austria - has also represented England from Under-17 to Under-20 level, but he has never made a senior appearance for the Three Lions.

Which other Chelsea outcasts could leave in January?

Chukwuemeka is one of two out-of-favour midfielders who could seek an exit from Stamford Bridge over the winter, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also been left out in the cold and is believed to be on the radar of Villa.

Mykhaylo Mudryk's future has also been called into question, although the Ukrainian's agent recently gave a firm answer when asked if his client could leave over the winter.

Written by

Ben Knapton