Aston Villa 'gutted' after huge blow at Villa Park | OneFootball

Aston Villa were ‘really disappointed’ with the deal that saw midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka move to Chelsea this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The youngster is rated as one of Europe’s most exciting talents but has chosen to leave Villa Park, leaving many at the West Midlands club frustrated.

What happened with the Chukwuemeka deal?

The 18-year-old was one of Villa’s rising stars having spent the last six years in the club’s academy, already making 14 Premier League appearances in that time.

He has also become a regular in the England Under 19 set-up, making 11 appearances and scoring five goals, including three as the side won the U19 European Championships this year.

With just one year remaining on his deal, however, there was always a chance of a move away. AC Milan and Barcelona were among the clubs linked but it was Chelsea who swooped for Chukwuemeka’s services, completing a £20 million transfer.

He helped take the club’s summer recruitment drive to five, following Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Gabriel Slonina into the club.

But back at Villa Park, they remain downbeat about losing one of the hottest prospects in Europe before he could make his mark.

What has Jones said about the Chukwuemeka deal?

Jones understands that Aston Villa remain incredibly disappointed about losing their youngster this summer, particularly before he had a chance to make an impact on the side.

The transfer insider insists that not even the £20 million received in exchange would be enough to make them feel better.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t think there’s any price really for them that would have been good because he’s one of the best young players in the world and they’ll be gutted that he’s left them so early.

“It’s such a hard thing for these clubs, when you bring through someone so exciting and then can’t tie them down to that next deal that really gets the proper value out of them and allows you to actually get them into your team. So, they’re really disappointed about it.”

1 of 15

Do you know this obscure Aston Villa footballer from the 1990s?

Paul Mortimer Jonathan Bewers Carl Tiler Kent Nielsen

What next for Aston Villa?

The club have been linked with a number of midfielders this summer and have already brought Boubacar Kamara in on a free transfer from Marseille.

Ibrahim Sangare has been frequently reported as a target but up until now, no concrete approach appears to have been made for his services.

However, it will be interesting to see if that changes in the aftermath of Chukwuemeka’s sale.