Chelsea have sanctioned Borussia Dortmund’s bid to sign Carney Chukwuemeka on a permanent deal and Aaron Anselmino on loan, pushing the club’s summer sales beyond £270m.
Chukwuemeka, 21, who impressed during a loan spell in Germany last season, is finalising his return to the Westfalenstadion for a fee that could rise to £24m.
The agreement includes a significant sell-on clause, ensuring Chelsea retain a financial interest in the England Under-20 international’s future.
Despite approaches from RB Leipzig, Chukwuemeka was eager to rejoin Dortmund, where he played a key role in their Bundesliga campaign.
His departure takes Chelsea’s income from sales this window to £273.4m, the highest in the Premier League and close to offsetting the £277m already spent on new arrivals.
The flurry of sales comes under the shadow of Uefa’s financial scrutiny. The governing body has ordered Chelsea to deliver a positive transfer balance in order to register their latest signings for this season’s Champions League.
Earlier this summer, the club was fined £26.7m for breaching football earnings rules and flagged for a wage-to-income ratio above 80%.
Anselmino, 19, meanwhile, will spend the season at Dortmund without a purchase option included in the deal.
The Argentine defender, who joined Chelsea from Boca Juniors in January for £15.6m, has been advised by new manager Enzo Maresca to seek regular minutes amid intense competition in the first-team squad.
He moves to Germany as cover for Dortmund’s defensive injury crisis, with Niklas Süle, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck sidelined.
Chukwuemeka made 32 appearances for Chelsea after arriving from Aston Villa in 2022, while Anselmino’s only senior outing came at the Club World Cup.
Chelsea are not finished in the market. With nine days left before the window closes, the Blues are targeting Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons. At the same time, they could sanction exits for Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George, and up to nine more players in the so-called “bomb squad,” with senior stars Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi among those facing uncertain futures.
