Kovac eager to see more from Chukwuemeka after first Bundesliga goal
Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka scored on his first Bundesliga start as Borussia Dortmund crushed Freiburg 4-1 on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac is eager to see more of Carney Chukwuemeka after he scored his first Bundesliga goal against Freiburg on Saturday.
Chelsea loanee Chukwuemeka was on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win for BVB, having been frustrated by injury troubles since arriving in Germany in January.
The 21-year old capped an impressive first league start for the club in the 52nd minute, collecting the ball on the edge of the box and firing a deflected effort into the far corner.
“We have seen what he can do with the ball in the last few weeks, and we saw some of it today too," Kovac said.
"It was a lucky goal, a deflection, but you have to work for it. That’s what he did."
The Englishman has played 32 times for Chelsea and 16 times for Aston Villa since making his senior debut for the latter in an EFL Cup tie against Barrow in 2021.
But after finding his opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge following his 2022 arrival, he made the switch to Dortmund, where fellow English talents Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Jamie Gittens have all raised their profiles substantially.
No other Bundesliga side has had more English scorers than Dortmund (four), with Sancho the most prolific (40 goals).
Chukwuemeka won possession eight times against Freiburg and made 10 passes in the final third, leading sporting director Sebastian Kehl to label him a “difference maker”.
Dortmund are reportedly keen to keep Chukwuemeka at the club beyond the end of the season but a €35million release clause stands in their way and any permanent move could be dependent on qualification for Europe.
A disappointing season has left the German giants eighth in the league and three points behind Borussia Monchengladbach in the last European qualification spot.
Champions League qualification would make a permanent deal for Chukwuemeka far more achievable, but with five points to make up on Mainz in fourth place and a host of other clubs in the hunt, Dortmund face a stern challenge if they are to return to Europe's premier club competition.
Dortmund could also qualify for the Champions League by winning this season's edition. They visit Barcelona for the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday.