Chelsea and Manchester United chasing Dortmund star who admits the Premier League is “special” to him

Chelsea and Manchester United are both keen on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha. Nmecha is enjoying his best run in the Dortmund side since joining from Wolfsburg in 2023.

He has appeared in all 18 of Dortmund’s Bundesliga matches this season, scoring two goals and adding two assists. He has appeared in all seven of the club’s Champion’s League matches this season as well, scoring an impressive three goals.

Sky Sports Germany has reported that his performances have not gone unnoticed, with Chelsea and Manchester United expressing strong interest in the player. The 25-year-old is under contract at Dortmund until 2028, with the club keen to extend his deal even further.

The German international grew up in England, and spent time on the books of Manchester City. After breaking through the youth team in 2019, he spent two seasons with the first team but never made a Premier League experience.

He then joined Wolfsburg in 2021 before moving to Dortmund two years later. Speaking at the BVB press conference before playing Tottenham in the Champions League, Nmecha said the Premier League is “special” to him but declined to elaborate further.

Both Chelsea and United are known to be on the market for midfield reinforcements. United in particular face uncertainty surrounding the long term futures of many of their midfield stars.

Links to several top names have continued to make the rounds including Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Those moves are more than likely suited for the summer window though, leaving United to consider loan signings this winter as they hope to bolster their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

United have now been on the hunt for immediate reinforcements, and have begun contacts with several midfielders. Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves has been linked with a move to United this winter, as well as former Chelsea man Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Barcelona’s Marc Casado.

It seems Nmecha is latest name to be added to the Red Devil’s January short list. Chelsea continue to search for cover for first choice pairing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. The latter has also been a surprise target for Real Madrid lately, with some reports suggesting Chelsea would entertain large offers for the player.

While any move for their star midfield man would likely take place in the summer, the Blues could still be on the hunt for immediate cover. As it stands, only the young Andre Santos stands as cover in the deeper midfield roles.

Fellow youngster Romeo Lavia has endured an injury plagued stint at the club, as has talisman Cole Palmer who plays higher up the pitch.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.

You must be logged in to post a comment.