Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Carney Chukwuemeka to Elland Road this summer.
What's the talk?
That's according to a recent report by Leeds Live, who claim that the Whites are the latest side to join the race for the Aston Villa central midfielder's signing in the summer transfer window - with the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund all believed to be extremely keen on a move for the 18-year-old.
The report goes on to state that, after Steven Gerrard omitted the England U19 international from Villa's squad for their pre-season tour of Australia - as a result of the teenager rejecting the club's offers of a new contract - the West Midlands side would be willing to accept an offer in the region of £20m for the Austrian-born starlet this summer.
"Generational talent"
Considering the sheer amount of potential Chukwuemeka undoubtedly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Victor Orta would be keen on a deal to bring the 18-year-old to Elland Road ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
While it is true that the £5.4m-rated starlet is yet to make a huge impact within the Aston Villa first team - having featured just 16 times for the club's senior side - the midfielder's returns at youth level have been incredibly eye-catching.
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Indeed, over his 26 fixtures during his time with Villa U18s, the youngster scored a quite remarkable ten goals and registered eight assists from the middle of the park, while, over his 28 fixtures for the U23s, the talent also bagged three goals and provided five assists.
Furthermore, the £2.4k-per-week sensation played a starring role in England's U19 European Championship victory this summer, with the 18-year-old scoring three goals over his four appearances in the competition, including the all-important second to take an extra-time lead against Israel in the final - with his displays seeing him named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.
Further still, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie clearly believes that Chukwuemeka has a huge future in the game, stating of the youngster last August: "This boy is going to be the future. You talk about the [Jack] Grealish's of the world. This boy has got composure, silk, [strength] and I think they are looking more from him in that he adds goals to his game."
As such, should Orta manage to fight off the fierce competition for the player who Patrick Rowe dubbed a "generational talent" this summer, the Spaniard could well have unearthed a new Grealish-level talent - who left Villa for Manchester City in a £100m deal last summer - for the Whites, something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with the club.
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