Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has insisted he wants to stay at the club to prove his worth under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues boss is overseeing his new charges in North Carolina ahead of tonight’s friendly with Wrexham and Chukwuemeka, 19, is in the squad.
However, Chelsea’s midfield is packed with young talent and the England youth international is facing competition from Andrey Santos, Conor Gallagher, Cesare Casadei and potentially Brighton’s £100million star Moises Caicedo to stake his claim.
“[Pochettino]’s come in and said that he sees the talent that he wants to develop and help develop me,” Chukwuemeka told Sky Sports.
“Whether that’s in a month or six months, but I want to stay and prove to everyone what I can do, and help the club.
“At the end of the day we’ll sit down and come together to decide what’s best for me.”
Reports have suggested that a loan move could be in the offing for Chukwuemeka but there have been no concrete links over a transfer at this stage.
Chelsea kick-off against League Two Wrexham in the early hours of Thursday morning, UK time, to begin their pre-season tour of the United States.
