Carney Chukwuemeka state of play: Aston Villa contract, transfer interest, what Steven Gerrard said

Aston Villa prospect Carney Chukwuemeka has found himself at the centre of a transfer saga this summer.

The 18-year-old midfielder made 12 league appearances last season in his first full season with the senior side. Having followed this by helping guide England U19s to victory in the European Championships, where he produced three goals and two assists across five games, it is clear that Villa have a potentially special talent on their hands.

However, the Youth Cup winner has entered the final 12 months of his Villa contract, leading to intense speculation that he could leave the club. Here’s the current state of play regarding Chukwuemeka ’s future at Villa Park, what manager Steven Gerrard has said, and the possibility of a move this summer.

Villa boss Gerrard has taken the decision to leave Chukwuemeka out of his side’s pre-season camp in Australia due to concerns over his contract. His England U19 teammates Aaron Ramsey and Tim Iroegbunam have made the trip and are joined by a number of academy youngsters, including Kaine Kesler Hayden, Ben Chrisene and Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

Chukwuemeka will be continuing his pre-season preparations at Bodymoor Heath, alongside the remaining academy players, before the first team return towards the end of the month. Despite continued transfer reports surrounding Chukwuemeka, understands that his contract discussions with Villa are still ongoing.

"Carney is yet to sign a contract offer that has been in place for some time now," Gerrard told Villa TV . "I’ve decided the best thing for him would be to continue his training programme back at Bodymoor."

"As far as I know they (contract negotiations) haven't progressed,” he said . “We've done everything we can from