Carney Chukwuemeka could be on his way out of Aston Villa as his contract is up in 2023 and he’s refusing to sign a new deal unless his demands are met. Football Insider said days ago that the 18-year-old is requesting up to £100k-per-week, so Matt Maher of the Express and Star believes Steven Gerrard has no choice but to let him go.
He wrote: ‘It’s a frustrating situation but realistically there is little more Villa could have done. Without a change of heart on the player’s part, they must now try to cash in as best they can or risk losing him for a development fee – a long way short of their £20million valuation – next summer.’ Chukwuemeka will be missed as he’s got great potential, but Villa can’t be held to ransom.
The 18-year-old has made 26 appearances for the U18s (10 goals, 8 assists), 28 appearances for the U21s (3 goals, 5 assists) and 16 appearances for the first-team (0 goals, 1 assist). He’s still at the beginning of his career and has made very little impact at senior level, so why would Villa pay him £100k-per-week in wages?
Chukwuemeka would not be a regular first-team player next season either with John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsery standing in his way, so he shouldn’t get the same salary as teammates who do feature in every game.
The England U19 international will have seen Ramsey flourishing after getting more opportunities and will know how Jude Bellingham went from Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund to become a regular for club and country, so Chukwuemeka may feel he can follow in their footsteps. He maybe sees that Barcelona and AC Milan are interested and it turns his head.
Chukwuemeka does need more playing time than he’s been offered so far, but it remains to be seen if he would get that at a bigger European club. Nevertheless, if Villa can paid around £20m for the midfielder it’s better than him leaving for a minimal fee next summer.
In other news, Steven Gerrard should send Kortney Hause on loan amid Watford interest
