Why is Thomas Tuchel?
Unexpected transfer
Chelsea signed another noteworthy signing, beating serious competitors from top clubs for 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka. He will be signed by Aston Villa for a whopping 20 million pounds for such a young boy. Thomas Tuchel was quick to strengthen midfield ahead of the start of the season and the youngster could be Chelsea’s latest recruit to sign striker Raheem Sterling, defender Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.
But what does 18-year-old Chelsea have to offer this season? And why has it attracted so much interest from other top clubs? And can Chukwuemeka immediately become a player in the starting XI of the Blues? Let’s find out.
Who is Chukwuemeka?
He was born in the small Austrian town of Eisenstadt in October 2003 to Nigerian parents. And then he moved to England, where he grew up, in Northampton. Cairney therefore has the right to represent three nations at the same time, but the choice fell on England at the youth level. And Chukwuemeka attracted attention as part of the under-19 squad.
For this team, he played 11 games, scoring five goals. And it was very evident at last summer’s European Championship (U19). He scored in England’s first two games against Austria and Serbia before receiving the captain’s armband for the final against Israel. And Cairney didn’t disappoint, scoring his third goal of the tournament in extra time to seal a 3-1 win. He played a fundamental role in the success of the English youth teams and was included in the symbolic team of the tournament.
At the same time, Aston Villa has long known about Chukwuemeki’s talent. He attended Northampton Academy and joined Villa at the age of 12 in 2016. Birmingham won the 2020/21 FA Youth Cup and Chukwuemeka played a big part in that success. In May 2021, Cairney made his first team debut as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.
Chukwuemeka started for Villa in August 2021, at the start of last season against Brentford. In total, he made 11 league appearances last season and overall he was as important a part of the team as an 18-year-old can be.
How is your relationship with Villa Chukwuemeka leaving the team?
You can’t say it’s good. His contract expired next summer and the club offered him a new deal. Birminghams manager Steven Gerrard was hoping to keep him.
“We want Carney to stay here for a long time. We think this is the best place for him. I hope the situation develops in our favor. “Gerrard said in May.
However, Chukwuemeka never accepted Villa’s new offer, forcing the manager to exclude the player from the team’s pre-season tour of Australia.
“Cairney has not yet signed the new contract we offered him some time ago. I decided it would be best for him to stay and continue his separate training program. “Gerrard commented on the situation during the tour.
Well, it is now clear that Aston Villa is losing one of the most talented players, but it all went to that. There remained only the question of who would be more successful in the race for Chukwuemeka.
Who else tried to sign it?
When Chukwuemeka, who was certainly followed by various scouts, refused Villa’s offer, it was a signal to those interested: the player is ready for negotiations, and they must take him immediately, since there was no candidate for him.
At various times, the interest of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund was associated with Cairney and Milan even made an offer of three million pounds, but it was turned down. After losing to Barcelona in the race for Rafinha and Kunda, Chelsea faced the prospect of losing a third player there this summer. The question, therefore, has already acquired a certain principle. And then the Blues did it. Or the Catalans and Dortmund weren’t so insistent.
What is Chukwuemeki’s style?
It’s still hard to judge what an 18-year-old boy is like at a regular adult level. However, experts note that his dribbling is a strong point. In the last third of the court, Cairney can pull the ball out with a nimble feint, where it looks like the ball is glued to his feet. The Premier League is known for its pace and intensity of play which means that Chukwuemeka will have less time and space which have provided additional opportunities at the youth level.
However, this is not a one-shot player. He has already shown that fast feet and developed football intelligence can provide the qualities necessary for accelerated play in the penalty area and interaction with partners in front of it. Cairney’s scoring instinct also clearly attracted the Blues scouts. During Villa’s FA Youth Cup triumph last year, Chukwuemeka scored seven goals in six games, including a hat-trick against Newcastle United.
A midfielder who knows how to score regularly would be very useful to the current Chelsea.
Will he become the owner?
Chelsea don’t have many options in midfield, especially with this style of play. This is Chukwuemeka’s big advantage and it shows why the Blues were so desperate to sign him. At the same time, Chelsea have Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher, who are back. And Chelsea aren’t counting on Barkley. It cannot be said that Tuchel will cling to Chukwuemeka as a rescue option, but Cairney will certainly have a chance.
Also, Kante has recently had injuries, Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek have suffered from instability in their form. Chelsea need to play on multiple fronts and the new momentum in midfield will come in very handy. It is possible that both at Chelsea and after a bumper summer with England’s youth teams, Chukwuemeka will open up to a whole new level.
