Newcastle United are reportedly set to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United for Aston Villa’s teenage midfield sensation, Carney Chukwuemeka.
According to a report from 90 min, the competition to secure the services of promising Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer transfer window is heating up. Arsenal and Manchester United face stiff competition from Newcastle United for the 18-year-old, who is in the final year of his existing deal and could be set for a move away from Villa Park.
The 18-year-old midfield sensation has always seemed like a great talent rising through the ranks at Villa Park. But Chukwuemeka truly came to the fore last season with a string of impressive displays from the middle of the park. During the 2021/22 campaign, he registered one assist in 12 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa.
Of those, only two were starts, but his exploits at various youth levels for club and country have drawn the attention of several elite teams. The Aston Villa wonderkid shone in the recent Under-19 Euros, where he finished joint-second in both the goals and assists charts. Not to mention, Chukwuemeka scored the crucial extra-time goal in the final to help England beat Israel and win the trophy.
At the same time, Chukwuemeka is at a crossroads in his career, with less than a year remaining on his Aston Villa deal. The Villans obviously want to tie down one of the most exciting English talents, but they face a battle to keep hold of their academy star, with a host of top clubs both domestically and abroad monitoring his situation closely.
As such, the 18-year-old has already rejected several contract offers from the Midlands club, putting them in a tricky situation as he will be free to speak to overseas clubs in January, which would only force them to bank a paltry development fee. So, if this drags on too long, Aston Villa may decide to cash in on Chukwuemeka this summer, with a string of big clubs vying for his signature.
The teenage midfielder sensation has not joined his teammates on their preseason tour of Australia, indicating that talks between Aston Villa and the player’s suitors are taking place in the background.
Arsenal and Manchester United have been named as two clubs willing to launch bids for him if he becomes available. With a lack of progress in their respective pursuits of Youri Tielemans and Frenkie de Jong, both English giants may benefit from signing a tremendous talent in Chukwuemeka and reinforcing their midfield ranks this summer.
But the lack of game-time could prove to be an issue for the 18-year-old at both clubs. In that regard, Newcastle will also put their hat in the ring for the teenage sensation and could become an appealing option from the player’s standpoint, with Eddie Howe looking for a creative midfielder.
Signing Chukwuemeka for a reasonable fee would enable the Newcastle chiefs to spend significantly more in other areas, with a mercurial winger and young striker also on their agenda. The Aston Villa midfielder also has a slew of suitors from the continent, with Barcelona already holding talks with his representatives, while Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are all keen on him.
