A huge update on the future of Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has been revealed, with the highly-rated youngster likely to leave the club.
What's the word?
A report in Monday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) said that the player has already given 'his first yes' to a move to Italian club AC Milan.
The Rossoneri are said to rate the player highly and are keen on signing him, but they could face competition from fellow giants FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Given he's wanted by these huge clubs, it would spell disaster if Villa were to let go of a player who has such high potential, Steven Gerrard needs to do everything he can to keep hold of him.
Supporters will be gutted
The news that Chukwuemeka could be on the way out of the club will leave supporters feeling gutted. Many will have hoped there was a future for him at Villa where he could force his way in and be a regular in their team.
The 18-year-old is an academy graduate at the Villans and made 12 appearances in the Premier League last season, but just two of them were starts.
He didn't score in that time, only assisting one, but he hasn't really been given enough game time to make his mark and show just how good he can be.
There have been many reports linking him with a transfer away, leading to speculation that his representatives are trying to urge clubs to make a move for him quickly.
With just a year left on his contract, Villa will not want to risk losing him for free, but they could use the next year to give him a great role and prove that he is wanted at the club.
Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey were the preferred options of Gerrard last season, and with the Villa manager recently admitting that he still wants to strengthen the midfield position, the writing could be on the wall for Chukwuemeka.
Whilst losing him wouldn't hurt them greatly in the short term, they could come to regret it if he goes on to reach his potential and become a top-quality player elsewhere.
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