MY ACCOUNT
Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has been one of England’s stars of the European Under-19 Championship so far — and he is drawing admiring glances from a host of top clubs.
The teenager is regarded as one of the West Midlands outfit’s brightest academy products after making a number of first-team appearances last season.
But with the 18-year-old entering the final year of his contract and the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund sniffing around, the Villans face a fight to keep hold of him.
High hopes
Perhaps only Jacob Ramsey, who is already a permanent fixture in Steven Gerrard’s starting XIs, has generated more excitement at Villa’s academy as Chukwuemeka in recent years.
A key part of the club’s 2021 FA Youth Cup-winning side, the youngster made a couple of appearances at the tail end of the 2020-21 season before making a further 14 last campaign.
With three of those from the start, the skilful midfielder even grabbed his first Premier League assist in a 2-0 victory at Norwich last December.
After taking over as manager in November, it appears Gerrard has already identified his No33 as a burgeoning talent.
The Villa boss said in January: “He’s hopefully going to be a big player for Aston Villa. We want him to stay here long-term.
“We believe it’s the right place for Carney and myself and the staff have shown huge trust putting an 18-year-old in but we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think he was ready, or have the ability to cope.”
Teenage kicks
Showcasing excellent ball control, physicality and skill in those appearances, the 6ft playmaker appears to have all the necessary requirements to make it at the top level.
With only a year remaining on his deal at Villa Park, Chukwuemeka is said to want assurances of more opportunities next season before committing his future to the club he first joined in 2016.
The player himself has made no secret of his ambitions to become a star in the upper echelons of the game.
He said last year: “I want to be the very best I possibly can and I will do all I can to get to the very top.”
You could hardly say he has not been handed a chance in the first team.
Out of all the teenagers to feature in the Premier League last term, only Southampton’s Tino Livramento (2,203), Wolves’ Fabio Silva (563) and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (346) played more minutes than Chukwuemeka (295).
But Chukwuemeka would be foolish not to entertain offers should they come in, especially from clubs boasting strong development pathways, such as Dortmund and Barca.
On the table
Gerrard has already offered a contract extension to his starlet, wanting to convince the young midfielder that ambitious Villa can become a similar hotbed for talent.
The Liverpool legend knows what it takes to become a Premier League great and the success of the aforementioned Ramsey, 21, shows he knows how to pass that knowledge on to the players he is now coaching.
He said openly of Chukwuemeka’s contract situation last term: “We want him to sign and to extend and reward him for what we’ve seen so far.
“We’ve got big aspirations and a big road map for Carney.”
Starring in Slovakia
With substitute appearances his best chance to impress last term, Chukwuemeka earmarked this summer’s Euros as the time to exhibit his talents to the world.
He has certainly not disappointed in those efforts, scoring twice and assisting as many in three group stage games in Slovakia and being handed the captain’s armband against Israel.
While there was already plenty of interest in the former Northampton man, his displays for England mean it is only set to intensify in the coming weeks and months.
Watch this space
If a move does not materialise, Chukwuemeka will hope to impress further in pre-season — though it may also be Gerrard’s last chance to convince the player that Villa is the best place for his immediate future.
The ambitious outfit are trying to do all the right things in the transfer market to show they mean business in the coming years.
But keeping hold of one of England’s brightest talents would be one of their biggest statements yet.
