Chelsea boss tells another £20m signing why he's going to 'struggle' at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that he advised Carney Chukwuemeka, who was signed for £20 million in 2022, that it would have been better for him to go out on loan.

The former Aston Villa player has yet to make an appearance this season, and sources have informed LondonWorld that clubs in Germany were interested in him before the transfer window closed.

When asked about Chukwuemeka's current situation, given that he will remain at the club until at least January, Maresca was both frank and forthright in his response.

He told reporters: "I’ve already said this to him personally and in a press conference: I really, really like Carney. The problem is that we have so many attacking midfielders, so he’s going to struggle to find space.

“Because of his history with injuries, the best thing for him would have been to go out on loan, play 30 or 35 games, and prove that he is fit. Then, he could return here. "Unfortunately, we didn’t find a solution, and now he’s one of the players in our squad. We’ll make use of him."

Chelsea have successfully arranged loan moves for players following a change in plans, such as Raheem Sterling, who was loaned to Arsenal on transfer deadline day. They also managed to secure a loan deal for Trevoh Chalobah, who joined Crystal Palace, while Datro Fofana is set to finalise a move to Göztepe in Turkey.

Meanwhile, there is the issue of left-back Ben Chilwell, who has been training on his own after not securing the move he or the club had hoped for. Likely, he will now be reintegrated into the squad and given a jersey number, as it’s clear he won’t be leaving in the next three months.