Carney Chukwuemeka

Carney Chukwuemeka, from England, has been under contract with Borussia Dortmund since February 2025. The 21-year-old joined BVB on loan from Chelsea FC for the second half of the 2024/25 season and wears the number 17.

The Austrian-born midfielder couldn't quite believe his move to Dortmund after signing his contract: "It's a surreal feeling. I'm so happy to be here and I can hardly wait to get started." Chukwuemeka, who describes himself as a confident player, wants to give his all on the pitch for BVB: "I'm a player who likes to show what I can do on the pitch, I play without fear. I like to dribble, initiate moves, pass and shoot. I will always give my all for the badge. Fans can expect all of that from me."

The son of Nigerian parents spent the first two years of his life in Austria before the family moved to England. The 1.85-metre tall footballer spent most of his childhood in Northampton, where he learnt to play football and met Borussia's Jamie Gittens, among others. "I knew Jamie from his time at Reading, when I was playing for Northampton. We played against each other when we were very young, that must have been in the U11s."

At the age of 12, the Englishman then joined the Aston Villa Academy, and in 2020, the then 16-year-old signed his first professional contract with the Birmingham club. He then made his first-team debut in the summer of 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur. After making his first start in the centre of midfield against Brentford in August 2021, former Aston Villa professional and ex-international Paul Merson predicted a great career for him: "He's going to be an absolute star."

After delivering impressive performances for Aston Villa and winning the European U19 Championship with the England youth team, Chukwuemeka moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2022. The dynamic box-to-box player made a total of 37 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa and Chelsea, scoring one goal in the process.

His next career move has now taken the youth international to Dortmund - and BVB are not the only ones expecting a lot from the loan, which is initially set to run until the summer of 2025: "It's a chance for me to show what I can do. I can't thank the club enough for the trust they've shown in me. I feel really honoured to be a part of this great club," said Chukwuemeka, adding: "I can't wait to play in front of the fans at the stadium and help us all succeed together."