A teasing Newcastle United claim has emerged regarding their interest in Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has claimed that the Magpies have been keeping tabs on the England under-19 international in recent months.

He tweeted: "Carney Chukwuemeka of Aston Villa was a name mentioned in Newcastle circles earlier in summer. They were aware of his contract situation. Interesting developments at Villa. One to watch."

The midfielder has one year left on his current contract with the Premier League club, and it has been reported that they could rake in £5m for him this summer if he does not put pen to paper on an extension.

Eddie Howe will be excited

This claim will leave the Toon head coach excited, as the prospect of Chukwuemeka coming to St James' Park is an exciting one for Howe.

The Villa gem is a promising young talent with the potential to develop into a top player, which means that he is someone with whom Howe can work over time. Talent scout Jacek Kulig recently dubbed him a "superstar in the making", and the Magpies boss could be the one to help the teenager to become an elite midfielder.

He has already made 14 appearances in the Premier League by the age of 18 and he has been capped 11 times by England at under-19 level. Steven Gerrard has clearly seen enough from him to suggest that he can make an impact in the top flight in spite of his tender age, and this highlights the immense potential that Chukwuemeka has.

If he is already capable of performing in the top tier now, then imagine how good he can be with three or four years of experience under his belt playing at that level, honing his skills as he learns what is required to excel in this league.

He has many, many years left ahead of him to grow and develop and he can do that whilst lining up in Newcastle's midfield, learning from the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Jonjo Shelvey.

Therefore, Howe will be excited by Hope's claim, as he will surely be keen to work with Chukwuemeka and will now be hoping that Dan Ashworth can get a deal over the line before the end of the transfer window.

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