Chelsea

Chelsea: Carney Chukwuemeka backed to be future Blues star

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Image for Chelsea: Carney Chukwuemeka backed to be future Blues star

Reputable journalist Dean Jones has backed Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka to become a central figure in Graham Potter’s future first-team plans.

What did Jones say about Chukwuemeka?

Jones has heaped praise on the 19-year-old, who he feels has the ability to challenge and eventually displace fellow midfielders Ruben Loftus Cheek and Conor Gallagher within the next couple of years. 

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“I think this lad is going to be a complete star.

“If Chelsea were weighing this up, they’ve already invested in him, getting him recently. You want Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, those types of players, to show you that they’re worthy of being in the squad ahead of him. That’s the big challenge for those players to try and keep players like this on the touchline.”

Carney-Chukwuemeka-in-action-for-Chelsea

Should Chukwuemeka feature more for Chelsea?

The Austrian-born star made his first start for Aston Villa against Brentford at just 17 and instantly impressed the onlookers.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson quickly recognised his attributes and hailed the midfielder as outstanding.

He said (Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (28/08/21 at 5:15 pm):

“He has got a bright future. First-half, he was outstanding. He was gliding across the pitch. 17-years-old, you are playing in the Premier League in the centre of midfield. I mean that’s a big ask. 

“He will be an absolute star. He glides across the pitch. He is a nice size. He gets on the ball. He looks for it and makes runs without the ball.”

The following summer, the former Northampton Town academy starlet was a member of the England U19 side that clinched the 2022 UEFA European Championship – he even scored in the final as the Three Lions defeated Israel 3-1. 

This meant he attracted the attention of the Chelsea hierarchy, who splashed £20m on the youngster. It is a sizeable fee for a player of that age with limited experience but it shows the high regard he’s displayed in. 

During his debut season for Chelsea, Chukwuemeka made 12 appearances in all competitions but has only managed to start once. However, every time the £100k-per-week man has appeared he’s looked lively and eager to impress. 

When he replaced Christian Pulisic after 22 minutes in Chelsea’s 1-0 league defeat to Man City in January, he registered the joint-highest rating of any Blues player, as per Sofascore, and unluckily struck the post with a rasping long-range effort. 

Journalist Simon Phillips, meanwhile, feels the player has definitely staked a strong claim to be used more frequently by Potter. 

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“This is a really weird one and this is one of the many reasons why fans are turning on Potter. Not playing Chukwuemeka is one of the reasons because, when he started off and came in, he looked bright and good. He was making a difference.”

It is still the extremely early stages of his Chelsea career, but the prodigy has already flashes of class and brilliance. If he continues on his current trajectory, he is surely guaranteed more minutes in the future. 

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