Chelsea have dismissed suggestions they are prepared to consider a loan deal with an option to buy for Carney Chukwuemeka according to The Athletic.

Chukwuemeka arrived from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth PS20m, but his time at Stamford Bridge has been plagued by injury.

The midfielder has shown glimpses of his quality, but simply hasn't been able to stay fit and has made just 27 appearances in two seasons.

Chelsea rate Chukwuemeka highly The 20-year-old had a good pre-season under Mauricio Pochettino and started the season strongly, scoring his first goal for the Blues against West Ham in the second game of the season, but in that same game he suffered a knee injury.

The injury would limit the midfielder to just 12 appearances in all competitions last season and recent reports from the Italian media have linked him with a move to AC Milan.

Chukwuemeka is attracting interest from AC Milan. Chelsea have got plenty of options in midfield with the future of Chukwuemeka coming into question, and now even more so with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall set to join the club for PS30m from Leicester.

The Athletic report that the Blues rate Chukwuemeka highly, and believe his value has increased since he joined the club, but state that AC Milan have indeed expressed an interest.

The report states that Chelsea have dismissed suggestions they are prepared to consider a loan offer with an option to buy, with academy/under-21 players currently the only players available for loan.

More Stories / Latest News The Athletic add that clubs are being told senior players will either leave on a permanent basis or remain at the club.

It would be a shame to potentially lose a player of Chukwuemeka's quality, but more important than anything is that he gets on top of his fitness issues, and he will have the opportunity to impress Enzo Maresca on the pre-season tour of America later this month.