As the early February deadline starts to loom large, Ipswich Town will be scrambling about to make some last minute purchases before the transfer window officially slams shut.
Already, the relegation-threatened Tractor Boys have added in some notable additions to their ranks in the form of both Julio Enciso and Ben Godfrey joining on loan, whilst Jaden Philogene-Bidace also arrived from Aston Villa on a permanent deal worth a bumper £20m.
McKenna will hope this spending spree continues right up until the very end of the frantic window as the Suffolk side begin to be linked with this exciting youngster.
Ipswich lodge transfer enquiry
As per journalist Simon Phillips, Ipswich have asked Chelsea about the potential of taking on Carney Chukwuemeka as a bold new loan addition before the window closes, with those initial talks sparking off the back of the Blues being interested in Tractor Boys ace Liam Delap.
He further elaborates that Chukwuemeka is ‘not interested’ in relocating to Portman Road before the upcoming deadline, with other clubs in the form of Juventus, Porto and Everton all seeking out the 21-year-old’s signature too.
Ipswich will hope some movement can happen with this deal regardless of Chukwuemeka’s hesitancy to uproot to Suffolk, owing to the fact the newly promoted outfit have struck gold in the past with Chelsea youngsters.
After all, Omari Hutchinson wasn’t getting a look in whatsoever when on the books at Stamford Bridge, before then being given the platform to strut his stuff under McKenna.
Why Chukwuemeka could be Hutchinson 2.0
Indeed, Hutchinson was key to Ipswich unbelievably rising up to the Premier League at the end of last season, with the 21-year-old picking up plenty of goals and assists in the Championship.
By the close of the 2023/24 campaign, Hutchinson had amassed a mightily impressive ten goals and six assists for his new outfit in league action, after only being handed two senior opportunities back in West London.
He has also acclimatised to the Premier League well, with this stunner back in November helping his team clinch a share of the points against Manchester United.
Therefore, Chukwuemeka – who lined up alongside Hutchinson at youth level for Chelsea – could feel more appreciated at Ipswich if a move got off the ground, having been restricted to zero appearances this season in the top-flight.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Chelsea
32
2
1
Chelsea (U21s)
2
0
0
Aston Villa
16
0
1
Aston Villa (U21s)
29
3
5
Aston Villa (U18s)
26
10
8
Looking at the table above, he could explode into life being given more regular minutes at Portman Road with 48 senior appearances under his belt already at Chelsea and ex-employers Aston Villa, with a promising goal and assist count of three next to his name.
After all, whilst he was succeeding in the youth set-up at England with six goals picked up from 13 U19 caps, football talent scout Jacek Kulig would even label Chukwuemeka as a “superstar in the making”, with his development potentially being stunted at Chelsea now.
Capable of playing in a more traditional central capacity, or further forward as a number ten, McKenna would love to call Chukwuemeka his next signing during this chaotic window, with the 21-year-old offering the likes of Enciso and Conor Chaplin competition in that latter position, whilst further offering something fresh away from the more defensive faces of Sam Morsy and Jens Cajuste.
Ipswich could find it difficult to tempt the in-demand youngster to make the switch, but Chukwuemeka might well need a confidence boost after a testing season with the Blues to date like Hutchinson was gifted when relocating.
McKenna must ditch Ipswich promotion hero who earns more than Hutchinson
This Ipswich Town midfielder could soon be heading for the exit door.
ByKelan SarsonJan 27, 2025