Aston Villa are facing a potentially major setback in their progress as academy starlet Carney Chukwuemeka looks set for an imminent departure.

What's the story?

According to The Guardian, the highly-rated 18-year-old is set to depart his boyhood club over the coming months after becoming frustrated at his lack of game-time in the first-team setup.

David Hytner's report stated: "Carney Chukwuemeka will not sign a new contract at Aston Villa, putting England’s biggest clubs on alert, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.

"The 18-year-old midfielder, rated as one of England’s most promising talents, has decided his future does not lie with Villa, having grown frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunity."

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

News that one of Villa's brightest prospects is expected to walk away either in January or next summer will leave new manager Steven Gerrard feeling gutted, especially given Chukwuemeka's potential.

The midfielder was awarded his first-team debut by former manager Dean Smith towards the end of last season, receiving 18 minutes across two substitute appearances against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Chukwuemeka's first start of his senior career came against Barrow in the Carabao Cup in August, before he featured from the off against Brentford in the top flight in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

However, opportunities have been very limited since then, and the England under-18 international has had to settle for a substitute appearance against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup as he looks to make an impact at Villa Park.

In recent years, the likes of Jack Grealish and Jacob Ramsey have graduated through the Midlands outfit's academy to establish themselves in the senior ranks.

Nevertheless, it seems as though Chukwuemeka has given up hope of following in their footsteps, and Villa's loss is set to be someone else's gain.

With the likes of City, United and Liverpool circling, Villa's director of football Johan Lange faces a huge task in changing Chukwuemeka's mind and convincing him that Villa is the best place for his future, but the club's supporters will be hoping he can do just that.

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