Who is Carney Chukwuemeka?

Stats correct as of 26 August 2025

Carney Chukwuemeka

Age: 21 (born 20 October 2003)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Attacking midfielder/left winger
Country: England (23 youth caps, seven goals)

Key stats

Dortmund's capture of Chukwuemeka gives them creative class in the final third. The 21-year-old's journey started at Northampton Town academy before impressing scouts and being snapped up by Aston Villa in 2016, aged 12.

There, Chukwuemeka continued to develop, and he ultimately signed his first professional contract with The Villains in July 2020. After continuing to progress at a startling rate, Chukwuemeka was handed his senior debut in May 2021 in a 2-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. 

Watch: Chukwuemeka: "I play without fear" 

An important role in Villa's first FA Youth Cup victory in 19 years earned him the 2020/21 Villa Academy Player of the Season and, the following term, Chukwuemeka featured more regularly. His first Premier League start in late August was one of 14 appearances at the Birmingham-based club prior to a eye-catching move to two-time UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea.

In his first season for the Blues, he was used sparingly, racking up 14 appearances in all competitions in 2022/23. However, his positive contributions earned him back-to-back starts at beginning of the following term, scoring his first senior goal in a 3-1 defeat to West Ham.

Unfortunately, a knee in that same game kept him until January, and he made just 10 further substitute appearances, netting one more strike. After six more months as a fringe player at Stamford Bridge, Chukwuemeka was snapped up by Dortmund on loan on transfer deadline day in January 2025.

That short time spell appears to have been the start of his revitalisation. He made his debut in the 6-0 victory over Union Berlin in February, one of 17 appearances he amassed. He found the back of the net in his first start against Freiburg and, while he was not a regular in the first XI as he continued to work his way back to full fitness, he clearly did more than enough to convince Dortmund he has a bright future ahead of him in the Ruhr, re-signing him on a five-year contract in August.

At international level, Chukwuemeka starred for England at the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championships. He featured in every game of the tournament and score three times, including England’s second in a 3-1 extra-time victory over Israel in the final. These performances earned him an inclusion in the UEFA team of the tournament.

Plays a bit like: Dominik Szoboszlai

Whilst he may be developing into a slightly more deeper role than the Hungarian played during his tenure at RB Leipzig, both players are tireless work horses for their sides, exceptionally comfortable with the ball at their feet and driving at defences.

Likewise, they both always have an eye for an incisive pass. Whilst Szoboszlai definitely has the edge in terms of his shooting, Chukwuemeka stands an inch taller and perhaps has the physical edge as a more powerful runner.

Did you know?

Being born in Austria to Nigerian parents before moving to England made Chukwuemeka eligible to play for the national teams of all three countries, though he has only ever played in the England set-up, making his first two appearances at U17 level in 2019. 

What they're saying

"Carney is an extremely talented box-to-box player who has made a real impression in the Premier League at a young age. His dynamism, his attacking mindset and his confidence, combined with his outstanding quality as a footballer, make him an exciting addition to our squad." - Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl after first signing Chukwuemeka on loan

"Carney has enormous potential, which he has already demonstrated with us in the second half of last season. He can make the difference by consistently finding solutions in tight spaces and gives us an additional footballing element in midfield that is very beneficial." - Kehl after signing Chukwuemeka on a permament deal

"Carney is one of the most exciting young players in Europe so we are really looking forward to seeing him in action at Stamford Bridge. We are delighted to be able to bring him to Chelsea and add such a talented young individual to our squad for the new season and beyond." - Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly on signing Chukwuemeka in August 2022

"He has got a bright future. I don’t see a lot of the kid’s football. First-half, he was outstanding. He was gliding across the pitch. 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." - Arsenal legend Paul Merson on Chukwuemeka's first Premier League start, aged 17