An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa's pursuit of Caleb Chukwuemeka...

What's the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, League Two side Northampton have turned down an offer from Aston Villa for Caleb Chukwuemeka.

The report claims Villa are keen on landing the brother of their current academy forward Carney Chukwuemeka, but the Cobblers have been unwilling to play ball thus far. He is out of contract at the end of the year and Villa could snap him up on a free transfer in the January window.

Smith would be excited

Johan Lange must ensure that he can secure a deal for Chukwuemeka. The young forward appears to be a talented young prospect and could be a good addition to the youth rank at the club, with a view to him becoming a first-team player in the future.

However, that does not mean that Lange must go all out to sign him immediately. With his contract expiring at the end of the year, Villa have the opportunity to be patient and bide their time with him. They could allow Northampton to keep him until the end of his deal and then sign him for a compensation fee in 2022, bypassing the need to negotiate directly with the League Two club now.

That is only if they are unable to find a workable solution to his issue this summer. It would be ideal for Villa to get him in as quickly as possible as they could then decide on the perfect next step for the forward, rather than needing to do it midway through next season. For example, if they bring him in before the end of the current window they could decide to either send him back to the Cobblers or find a better club for his development.

Northampton boss Keith Curle labeled him as unorthodox but said that he has an exciting element to his game and is able to express himself on the pitch.

Curle told the Northampton Chronicle:

"Caleb has got an unpredictability about him and he can be unorthodox at times. "What we're trying to do is get the fundamentals in place in his play without taking away that excitement and that freedom in his play.
"Part of his foundation within his play is that he's allowed to express himself but he also needs to work on retaining possession and keeping the ball. But when you turn and you're facing the goal, go and play." Smith would be excited to work with the youngster to develop him further. The 5 foot 10 gem made 28 appearances in all competitions for Northampton last term. In that time, he scored twice and assisting one goal. This shows that, whilst the end product is not there yet, he is able to play consistently at senior level. Therefore, he could be a promising talent and one Smith would like to coach in the coming years, which is why he will be delighted if Lange can get him through the door. AND in other news, talkSPORT drop promising update on "phenomenal" Aston Villa star, fans surely buzzing...