Carney Chibueze Chukwuemeka (born 20 October 2003) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Austria national team.
Born in Vienna, he represented England at youth level. In 2026, he committed to play for his birth country of Austria.
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.
Chukwuemeka joined the Aston Villa academy from the Northampton Town academy in March 2016. He signed his first professional contract with Villa in July 2020.
Chukwuemeka made his senior debut for the team on 19 May 2021 in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur, hitting the post within minutes of entering the game. On 23 May 2021, he was named Aston Villa Academy Player of the Season for the 2020âÂÂ21 season. The following day, Chukwuemeka was part of the Aston Villa U18s squad that won the FA Youth Cup, beating Liverpool U18s 2âÂÂ1 in the final.
Chukwuemeka made his first senior start on 24 August 2021 in a 6âÂÂ0 victory against Barrow in the second round of the EFL Cup, and made his first league start four days later in a 1âÂÂ1 draw with Brentford, a performance Paul Merson hailed as "outstanding", adding "he will be an absolute star".
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. On 4 August 2022, Chelsea announced the signing of Chukwuemeka on a six-year contract. On 20 August 2023, Chukwuemeka scored his first senior goal in a 3âÂÂ1 loss to West Ham United, and was later substituted after suffering a knee injury.
On 3 February 2025, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund signed Chukwuemeka on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent. On 5 April, he netted his first goal for the club in a 4âÂÂ1 away win over SC Freiburg. On 26 August, Chukwuemeka joined Borussia Dortmund on a permanent transfer. Later that year, on 1 October, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 4âÂÂ1 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Chukwuemeka was eligible to play for the national teams of Austria, France, England, and Nigeria.. After making two appearances for England U17 national team, on 29 March 2021, he made his debut for the England U18 squad in 2âÂÂ0 victory over Wales.
On 2 September 2021, Chukwuemeka made his debut for the England U19s during a 2âÂÂ0 victory over Italy U19s at St. George's Park, he also captained the side. On 10 November 2021, he scored his first goal at this level, in a 4âÂÂ0 victory over Andorra U19 in a 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification match.
On 17 June 2022, Chukwuemeka was named in the England squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals. Chukwuemeka featured in every game of their tournament, scoring in group stage victories against Austria and Serbia. On 1 July 2022, he scored the second goal in England's 3âÂÂ1 extra time victory over Israel in the final. His performances during the competition led to his inclusion in the UEFA team of the tournament.
On 21 September 2022, Chukwuemeka made his England U20 début during a 3âÂÂ0 victory over Chile at the Pinatar Arena. On 10 May 2023, Chukwuemeka was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, he didn't arrive at the tournament until after the group stages due to his club commitments. His only appearance of the tournament saw him start in their round of sixteen defeat against Italy.
In March 2024, Chukwuemeka received his first call-up to the England U21 squad for their matches against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. However, he was unable to feature in either match as he withdrew from the squad due to a knock sustained while on international duty.
On 9 March 2026, Chukwuemeka's request to his switch international allegiance to Austria was approved by FIFA. On 27 March 2026, he made his début in a friendly in Vienna against Ghana, and scored his team's 4th goal in an eventual 5-1 victory.
Chukwuemeka was born in Vienna, Austria, to Nigerian parents and was raised in Northampton, England. His older brother, Caleb, is also a professional footballer who came through the academy at Northampton Town and was previously on the books of Aston Villa.
He attended St James CofE primary school in Northampton and then Northampton School for Boys with his brother.
Aston Villa
England U19
Individual