Aston Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka reportedly has no interest in holding talks over signing a new contract with the club amid interest from elsewhere.
The 18-year-old impressed at youth level for Villa before being promoted to the first team under Dean Smith, while he made 12 Premier League appearances last season as Steven Gerrard continued to give him opportunities as part of his plans.
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However, with his current contract set to expire next summer, doubts have been raised over Chukwuemeka’s future at Villa, and it’s now suggested that the two parties are no closer to reaching a new agreement.
According to Sky Sports, Chukwuemeka isn’t interested in discussing a new deal with Villa having already turned down offers from the club, and the main factor behind that decision is that he wants more playing time in a more prominent role.
It’s added that while Borussia Dortmund’s interest in the teenager has cooled, Barcelona and a host of other top clubs remain interested. While Villa are said to have grown frustrated with the situation, they are demanding £20m to sell this summer, but we may lose Chukwuemeka for less than £500,000 next summer as a foreign club can begin talks in January and will have to pay a small compensation fee to prise him away.
Ultimately, the decision is in Chukwuemeka’s hands. If he believes he has a better chance of being a key figure elsewhere and boosting his development that way, good luck to him, and if an interested party is ready to bid close to £20m, Villa should sell this summer.
The difficulty arises if no acceptable offers are forthcoming in the next few weeks, and ultimately Villa are then in danger of losing Chukwuemeka for a minimal fee, and that would be disappointing.
It doesn’t appear as though any roads lead to him signing a new contract and staying if the club have already tried and been rebuffed, and so it’s arguably for the best now that we move him on sooner rather than later. If he is still a Villa player come the start of the season, Gerrard has to decide what’s best for the group in terms of involving the talented youngster until then or keeping him away and with the youth team.
While it is disappointing the way things have gone, Villa have a whole host of top youngsters coming through the ranks currently and while Chukwuemeka could be one of the most talented, if he doesn’t want to be here then it’s best we focus on the ones that do.
