Matt Maher: Aston Villa may have to cash in on Carney Chukwuemeka
Four years on from Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens rescuing Villa from financial meltdown, a lesser told story outside the Midlands has been their investment in the club’s academy.
Developing players who can go on to become part of the first-team or be sold-on is a key part of the long-term strategy and Villa have been aggressive in attempting to recruit some of the best young talent in the UK and abroad, 16-year-old striker Rory Wilson recently becoming the latest addition in a deal with Rangers which could eventually be worth £1million. Where necessary, Villa are clearly prepared to pay for potential.
The case of Carney Chukwuemeka, however, proves there are limits. The 18-year-old has long been touted as one of the academy’s brightest talents and underlined his potential earlier this month by helping England under-19s win the European Championships.
Yet Chukwuemeka’s future at Villa is now in serious doubt having been omitted from the club’s tour of Australia by Steven Gerrard, following his refusal to sign a new contract. With just 12 months remaining on his existing deal the club are left in a position where, without a change of heart on the player’s part, they must now try to cash in as best they can or risk losing him for a development fee – which would fall a long, long way short of their £20million valuation – next summer.
It’s a frustrating situation but realistically there is little more Villa could have done. Chukwuemeka was tied down to a three-year contract, the longest permissable for a player of his age, when he turned 17.
Yet there are only so many concessions and promises which can be made to a player who, though clearly possessing huge potential, is still some way from being a Premier League regular. Those who watched Chukwuemeka’s 11 top flight appearances last season know he is still developing and the next year or two, as with many players his age, will be crucial. With young players, there are never any guarantees. For Villa, the situation is changing from trying to convince him to stay, to hoping they receive a suitable offer from one of his many suitors.
