Aston Villa should let Carney Chukwuemeka leave if he wants to exit this summer
By Andrew Maddox.
Carney Chukwuemeka may finally be on his way out of Aston Villa.
The 18-year-old midfielder has been a contract rebel at Villa Park for some time, dating back to Dean Smith’s time at the club.
He signed his first professional contract in July 2020 but was said to have angled for a move to Borussia Dortmund when first-team football did not materialise.
Smith gave him his debut against Tottenham in May 2021 and his first start against Brentford in August, but suddenly dropped him.
When Steven Gerrard came in, he gave Chukwuemeka more minutes in the Villa team to try and convince him to stay.
He was later given a fresh contract offer, but he again delayed signing and didn’t make an appearance for 10 consecutive matches.
Gerrard returned him to the team towards the end of the season, but the midfielder has again reportedly been looking for a move.
The Express has reported that Dortmund remain interested in Chukwuemeka while Spanish outlet Sport have claimed that his agent has met with Jordi Cruyff over a move to Barcelona.
If he wants to go, let him go
Chukwuemeka is an immensely talented player, but Villa have others waiting for their chance and cannot be too patient with him.
He was handed a massive chance by Steven Gerrard towards the end of the season as he was given a starting berth at home to Burnley.
Fellow starlet Tim Iroegbunam was given a start against Norwich and impressed, so it was hoped that Chukwuemeka would have the same effect.
Instead, he was largely ineffective and was taken off after less than an hour.
Villa are already loaded with attacking midfield talent, with Jacob Ramsey exploding into life this season and Philippe Coutinho arriving at the club.
They have other youngsters waiting in the wings, with Tommi O’Reilly and Aaron Ramsey also pushing for first-team football.
While he may become a star elsewhere and fans will be left wondering ‘what if’, the reality right now is that they can afford to lose him.
In other Aston Villa news, Aston Villa receive a response after contact was made with Tammy Abraham’s team for a potential move