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EPL: Chelsea new man Chukwuemeka now Thomas Tuchel ‘s midfield joker

Chelsea confirmed the signing of sought-after youngster Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa last week. The 18-year-old, who was also being chased by Barcelona, has opted to remain in the Premier League with Chelsea.

After a slow start to the transfer window, the Blues’ transfer business is beginning to ramp up with Thomas Tuchel putting a big focus on the future. In addition to Chukwuemeka, who has joined the club for a fee of around £20m, the Blues have signed 18-year-old goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, and are also being linked with Inter Milan’s Cesare Casadei. Chukwuemeka recently played a major part in England U19’s EURO’s success.

So, how could Chukwuemeka perform over the next few seasons with the Blues? Can he make an immediate impact, and can he become the star midfielder Chelsea are hoping for? We used Football Manager 22 to find out.

In Chukwuemeka’s first season with Chelsea, competition proved too much and the 18-year-old was sent on loan to Championship side QPR. Chukwuemeka had regular game time at the West London club, making 37 appearances for the Hoops whilst grabbing eight goals and eight assists in all competitions.

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His addition couldn’t help QPR to promotion, but he played a big part in their run to the FA Cup quarter-finals. Chelsea had a season expected of them in the 2022/23 season, finishing fourth in the Premier League but failing to win a trophy.

Ending the season on 75 points, Chelsea were only two behind Spurs in second and one behind Arsenal in third as Liverpool had a disappointing season – dropping out of the top four. The Blues had a very low goal difference compared to other sides though, scoring just 57 goals – the ninth best in the league.

Tuchel’s side were also poor in the cups, failing to get past the semi-final stage in any competition. A 2-1 defeat to Manchester United saw the Blues knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals – their best run of the season.

Chelsea’s cup results from the 2022/23 season (Image: Football Manager 2022)
A 5-0 aggregate loss to Man City in the Champions League quarter-finals was the worst result of the season for Tuchel’s side, with the Blues losing the first leg 3-0 at home. And lastly, a 2-1 loss to Leicester saw Chelsea eliminated in just the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

After impressing in the Championship for QPR, Chukwuemeka earned himself a loan to Premier League side West Ham. After the Hammers finished sixth in the Premier League the season prior, it meant Chukwuemeka would be playing in the Europa League.

The now 19-year-old in the simulation thrived in Europe, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists in eight Europa League appearances. Combined with the Premier League, Chukwuemeka scored six goals and grabbed three assists in 37 appearances, making the Hammers’ best XI at the end of the season.

In the Premier League, the Blues showed improvement, jumping from fourth to third in the table. They earned three more points than the previous season, overtaking Spurs and finishing just five points behind surprise winners Man United.

Tuchel’s side scored 17 more goals than the previous season, largely down to Kai Havertz and Armando Broja, with both payers grabbing 18+ goals in the league each. Broja became a key player for the Blues in the 2023/24 season.

Chelsea once again were underwhelming in the cup competitions, despite going one round further in the Champions League. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the Blues were knocked out in the UCL semi-finals to Bayern Munich after losing 2-1 in the second leg.

Chelsea’s cup results from the 2023/24 season (Image: Football Manger 2022)
Fellow exciting young talent Casadei also signed for the Blues in the simulation, and the Italian scored in Chelsea’s 3-2 FA Cup fourth Round exit against Wolves. Tuchel’s side were also knocked out in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, losing on penalties to Everton.

After two impressive seasons away from the club, Tuchel handed Chukwuemeka his first call-up to the first team following the departure of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in the 2024 summer transfer window. The midfielder became a regular in Tuchel’s side, making 44 appearances in all competitions.

Tuchel deployed the youngster as the deeper of the two midfielders, though he still managed to pick up six goals and six assists in all competitions, with three of the goals and five of the assists coming in the Premier League.

Chukwuemeka averaged a rating of 7.01 per game in all competitions – not an extremely high rating, but enough to keep him in the side each week. The Englishman also had a pass success of 87% and a tackle success of 88%, the fourth best pass rate in the squad and the highest tackle success.

At the end of the season, FM22 released the Best XI from the Chelsea squad, using player statistics, league data and other measures to complete the team. Here’s Chelsea’s Best XI for the 2024/25 season, according to our simulation.

Chelsea’s best XI from the 2024/25 season (Image: Football Manager 2022)
Full Chelsea Best XI (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Pavard, Koulibaly, Chalobah; James, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz; Broja.

In his first season with the first team, Chukwuemeka made the Chelsea best XI, joined in a midfield partnership with fellow youngster Casadei. The Blues signed Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard in the 2023 summer transfer window who also made the best XI, whilst Broja led the attack as Raheem Sterling missed out.

The Blues continued to show progress each season in the league, this time ending the Premier League season in second place – though they could’ve easily won the league. Sitting two points clear of Man City on the final day of the season, the two sides faced each other in the final game of the season to decide the title.

But, Man City won the game 2-0, leapfrogging Chelsea and winning the title. The Blues ended the season as the league’s second top scorers and with the best defence, conceding just 30 goals.

Despite the Premier League heartbreak, Tuchel’s young side did manage to win two trophies in the 2024/25 season, including the Champions League. Havertz’s second-half strike handed the Blues a 1-0 win in the final to win the competition.

The Blues also won the FA Cup, with goals from Broja, Casadei and Timo Werner securing a 3-1 win over Everton in the final. Chukwuemeka scored in Chelsea’s 2-2 Carabao Cup quarter-final draw with Newcastle, but the Magpies knocked Chelsea out on penalties.

Overall, FM22 predicts that Chukwuemeka could take his time to break into the Chelsea first XI, but once he does, the midfielder could become a key player for the Blues, helping them win two trophies and challenge for the Premier League. Chukwuemeka was transitioned into the side after two seasons on loan and two major midfield departures, showing how he could potentially be used for the future in real life as well.

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