La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly in the pole position to sign Aston Villa prodigy Carney Chukwuemeka, a target for Manchester United.
According to a report by talkSPORT, Barcelona lead the race to sign Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window. The 18-year-old whizkid is also a target for Manchester United, among other European bigwigs, with Aston Villa demanding £20 million to part ways with him.
Carney Chukwuemeka has spent most of his formative years in England, starting at Northampton Town before moving to Aston Villa in 2016. The teenage wonderkid has come leaps and bounds in the last six years, making his first-team debut in the season gone by while also leading England to the under-19 European Championship triumph this summer.
The 18-year-old has yet to establish a foothold in the first-team setup at Villa Park but has turned out 16 times for the Midlands club thus far. However, Chukwuemeka faces an uncertain future at Aston Villa as he has entered the final year of his contract and is no closer to agreeing to a new deal. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona and Manchester United.
Barcelona’s rebuild project under Xavi Hernandez is underway, and they have already made several changes to the first-team squad this year. But the Blaugrana might sell Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United as they look to lighten their wage bill and register new signings. However, de Jong’s departure will prompt them to bolster their midfield unit.
Barcelona have serious interest in English talent Carney Chukwuemeka, he’s appreciated as player with huge potential. ??????? #FCB
The player is in the final year of his contract with Aston Villa and would be available for FIFA training compensation in January. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/8nr1X0bQb1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2022
Chukwuemeka has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona, although he will likely start with Barcelona B before moving to the first team. That might not be the case at Manchester United, especially if the Red Devils fail to secure the services of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Recent reports have claimed that de Jong does not want to leave Barcelona, even though the Catalan giants are desperate to offload him. Manchester United will thus need to identify alternatives to the Dutchman, with Chukwuemeka a viable option to be Paul Pogba’s long-term replacement.
A separate report from talkSPORT has claimed that Aston Villa will demand £20 million for Chukwuemeka amid interest from Barcelona, Manchester United, and other European bigwigs. Meanwhile, the first update suggested that the Catalan giants are the front-runners to land the 18-year-old prodigy.
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Chukwuemeka is not on the pre-season tour to Australia with Aston Villa, with manager Steven Gerrard confirming that his contract situation has led to the decision. Such a development should give Barcelona and Manchester United the impetus to pursue the English under-19 international. It will be interesting to see if Chukwuemeka leaves Aston Villa in a £20 million deal amid external pressure from suitors.
