A product of the Northampton Town and Aston Villa academies, Chukwuemeka made his debut for the latter club's first team in 2021, before signing for Chelsea in 2022.[4] Born in Austria to Nigerian parents, he represents England at youth international level.
Chukwuemeka made his senior debut for the team on 19 May 2021 in a 2–1 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur, hitting the post within minutes of entering the game.[6][8] On 23 May 2021, he was named Aston Villa Academy Player of the Season for the 2020–21 season.[9] The following day, Chukwuemeka was part of the Aston Villa U18s squad that won the FA Youth Cup, beating Liverpool U18s 2–1 in the final.[10]
Chukwuemeka made his first senior start on 24 August 2021 in a 6–0 victory against Barrow in the second round of the EFL Cup, and made his first league start four days later in a 1–1 draw with Brentford, a performance Paul Merson hailed as "outstanding", adding "he will be an absolute star".[11]
Chelsea
On 2 August 2022, Aston Villa and Chelsea confirmed that the clubs had reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Chukwuemeka, subject to the player agreeing personal terms and undergoing a medical.[12][13] On 4 August 2022, Chelsea announced the signing of Chukwuemeka on a six-year contract.[14][15]
On 20 August 2023, Chukwuemeka scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 loss to West Ham United, later in the same match he was substituted after suffering a knee injury.[16]
International career
Chukwuemeka is eligible to play for the national teams of Austria,[17]England and Nigeria.[5] After making two appearances for England U17 national team, on 29 March 2021, he made his debut for the England U18 squad in 2–0 victory over Wales.[18]
On 17 June 2022, Chukwuemeka was named in the England squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals.[21] Chukwuemeka featured in every game of their tournament, scoring in group stage victories against Austria and Serbia.[22] On 1 July 2022, he scored the second goal in England's 3–1 extra time victory over Israel in the final.[23][24] His performances during the competition led to his inclusion in the UEFA team of the tournament.[25]
On 21 September 2022, Chukwuemeka made his England U20 debut during a 3–0 victory over Chile at the Pinatar Arena.[26] On 10 May 2023, Chukwuemeka was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[27][28] However, he didn't arrive at the tournament until after the group stages due to his club commitments.[29] His only appearance of the tournament saw him start in their round of sixteen defeat against Italy.[30]
Personal life
Chukwuemeka is of Igbo descent. He was born in Austria to Nigerian parents and then later moved and was raised in Northampton, England.[5] His older brother Caleb plays as a forward for Slovenian club NK Tabor Sežana.[31]