Chelsea have announced that they have reached an agreement with Aston Villa to sign teenage starlet Carney Chukwuemeka on a permanent deal.
The 18-year-old has been strongly linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer as he has entered the final 12 months of his contract.
A host of top European clubs have allegedly been alerted to Chukwuemeka's situation, including the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.
However, Chelsea have won the race for the midfielder's signature and they have confirmed on their official website and social media platforms that an agreement has been reached.
A short statement read: "Aston Villa and Chelsea can confirm that the clubs have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Carney Chukwuemeka.
Aston Villa and Chelsea can confirm that the clubs have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Carney Chukwuemeka.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 2, 2022
The 18-year-old has been given permission to travel to London to discuss both personal terms and undergo a medical.
"The 18-year-old has been given permission to travel to London to discuss both personal terms and undergo a medical."
Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Chukwuemeka is set to travel to London on Tuesday night and will undergoing his medical in the capital on Wednesday, before being unveiled as a new signing later this week.
Romano also states that Chelsea are set to pay Villa around £15m plus add-ons for the highly-rated midfielder, who will sign a six-year deal until June 2028.
Chukwuemeka, who is set to become Chelsea's third summer signing after Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, began his youth career with Northampton Town before joining Aston Villa in the summer of 2016.
The midfielder firstly excelled with Villa's Under-18s, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists in 26 games, before stepping up to the Under-23s and recording three goals and five assists in 28 appearances.
© Reuters
Before receiving Aston Villa's Academy Player of the Season award for the 2020-21 season, Chukwuemeka was handed his professional debut by Dean Smith in May 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Chukwuemeka has since featured 16 times for Steven Gerrard's senior side across all competitions, including 12 appearances in the Premier League last season.
The Austrian-born midfielder has also starred at international level for England and helped the Under-19s win the European Championships this summer.
Chukwuemeka scored three goals and provided two assists in five appearances at the tournament held in Slovakia, including a strike in extra time to help the Young Lions win 3-1 against Israel in the final.
Oliver Thomas
