Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has completed a permanent move to Borussia Dortmund.
The two clubs had been locked in negotiations for weeks over a deal after the England youth international spent the second half of last season on loan at Dortmund.
It was thought that BVB were looking to take Chukwuemeka on a season-long loan, while Chelsea were holding out for a permanent transfer.
But amid mounting interest in the 21-year-old from across Europe, Dortmund have now agreed to pay the £24million Chelsea desired for his signature.
The Blues confirmed Chukwuemeka’s departure in a social media post on Tuesday, writing: ‘Carney Chukwuemeka has completed a permanent move to Borussia Dortmund.
‘We want to thank Carney for his efforts and wish him well for the future.’
While failing to establish himself as a first-team regular in the Bundesliga, Chukwuemeka joins Dortmund on the back of a promising spell on loan where he helped the German club secure Champions League football.
BVB have a track record of signing British youngsters and helping them flourish at the Westfalenstadion.
Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho are two obvious examples of such, with Chukwuemeka joining fellow Englishman Jobe Bellingham in the Dortmund midfield this summer.
He leaves Chelsea having made just 32 appearances for the club in three years since his £20m from Aston Villa.
Blues defender Aaron Anselmino has also agreed to join Dortmund on a season-long loan and has flown to Germany to complete the deal.
Chelsea are indeed pressing ahead with a number of deals in a bid to cut their bloated squad.
UEFA have told the Todd Boehly-owned club they must record a positive transfer balance this summer if they’re to register new signings for their Champions League campaign.
They’ve so far offloaded the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Armando Broja, with more sales expected.
Nicolas Jackson looks the next star set for the exit door, with the Senegal striker reportedly reaching an agreement to join German champions Bayern Munich.
Jackson, who joined Chelsea from Villareal in 2023, is no longer thought to be in Enzo Maresca’s plans after the signings of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Talks are said to be ongoing between Bayern and the forward’s camp over whether he will move on a temporary or permanent basis.
The Blues meanwhile are also keen to bolster their squad before the transfer window officially closes on September 1.
Club officials have been working on deals for both RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho, who reportedly ‘only wants Chelsea’.
It’s thought the west London-based club are waiting to finalise Jackson or Christopher Nkunku’s exits before completing a deal for the Argentine winger, who has turned down advances from a number of clubs including Bayern Munich this summer.
Garnacho has been left out of both of United’s two matchday squads this season.
