Borussia Dortmund has finalized the signing of Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea in a permanent deal worth £25 million.

Chukwuemeka has signed a five-year contract with Dortmund, and in the deal, the Blues will receive a £25 million transfer fee along with a substantial sell-on clause.

The 21-year-old faced a difficult time due to injuries and lack of playing time and was loaned out for the second half of last season to the German club and joined permanently.

He made 32 appearances for Chelsea after a £20m move from Aston Villa in 2022, scoring only two goals.

The transfer of the midfielder marked a positive move for Chelsea, but at the same time, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has warned the Blues that they must record a positive transfer balance this window to register their new signings for this season’s Champions League.

The move shows Chelsea has generated over £270m from player sales this summer, almost covering the £277m spent on new signings, after being fined £26.7m for breaching UEFA’s financial rules and recording a squad cost ratio, the share of income spent on wages above 80%.

Chelsea are now focusing on outgoings, with young defender Aaron Anselmino agreeing a season-long loan move to Dortmund. 

With Monday’s deadline day looming, some players had been linked with exits from Stamford Bridge as they are not part of Maresca’s current plan.

These players include Nicolas Jackson, who agreed to personal terms with Bayern Munich, while Christopher Nkunku is also on their radar. Tyrique George drew a fresh offer from Crystal Palace and AS Roma, with Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell among the other possible departures. 

The Blues could still add to their squad, with Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons both linked with moves to West London.