€15m midfield bargain to Napoli could be used to sweeten striker deal | OneFootball

The transfer window closes in little over a week, and Chelsea are really having to get into gear to try and sort out the future of a huge number of their players.

Some are very obviously in – those who have been selected for the two competitive games we’ve played so far. There are some who are obviously out too – those who were excluded from the USA tour or are training with the ostracised “bomb squad.”

But some fall into the crack between the two – they’re still with the main group, but potentially up for sale.

We’d put Carney Chukwuemeka squarely in that category. If he sticks around there’s a good chance he will play a bit this season, but we’re sure the club would also listen to offers, given the glut of talent in the attacking midfield areas he likes to occupy.

Carney Chukwuemeka in preseason action.

Interest grows as deadline gets closer.

So far we’ve barely heard a whisper of concrete interest in Carney, perhaps because it’s not been quite as clear whether he’s up for sale, and what Chelsea might want. The recent additions of Portuguese pair Pedro Neto and Joao Felix have changed the balance however, and we’re now hearing reports of interest from Napoli in the former Aston Villa man.

Nizaar Kinsella of the BBC has today claimed that Chukwuemeka is the subject of interest from the Italian side, who are already locked in talks with Chelsea over striker Romelu Lukaku.

Valued at just €15m by TransferMarkt, we’re sure Chelsea will want significantly more than that, which could prove a problem for the Serie A side. But we could yet see him used as part of the Lukaku deal in some way.

It’s certainly one to keep your eye on for the next week or so.