Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, has admitted he asked Carney Chukwuemeka to leave the Premier League club in the summer.
The 20-year-old winger signed for the Blues in 2022.
But he has struggled for minutes under Maresca this season.
Chukwuemeka has made only one appearance for Chelsea this season which came against Barrow in the Carabao Cup.
Maresca, speaking after the 4-2 win over Brighton on Saturday, confessed he wanted the youngster to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.
He said: “I will say exactly the same thing I have said many times: Carney is a very good player, but for the number of players we have, we decided at the beginning of the season it is probably better to leave and go somewhere.
“Prove himself and playing 30 or 35 games than being here and play less games. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. He is our player.
“He had some minutes the other day, today he was not involved. Hopefully, we can give him more minutes.”
EPL: I told Chukwuemeka to leave Chelsea – Maresca
