Carney Chukwuemeka, a midfielder with Nigerian roots, has been acquired by Chelsea from Aston Villa for a rumored sum of £20 million ($24 million).
According to InsightnaijaTV, Aston Villa and the England under-19 midfielder have been at odds over a contract during the preseason.
The midfielder was excluded from Villa’s preseason tour of Australia by manager Steven Gerrard because Chukwuemeka refused to extend his contract, which was set to expire in 2023.
In May 2021, Chukwuemeka, who will be 19 in October, made his debut for the Villa first team. He made 14 appearances last season, but only two of them were Premier League starts.
He was crucial to England’s victory at the Under-19 European Championship in July.
Speaking, Chukwuemeka said: “It’s been quite hectic but I couldn’t get Chelsea out of my head the last few days so I’m just happy and relieved that it’s all done.
“I’m so excited and just can’t wait to get on the pitch, meet all the players and try to win games and trophies with Chelsea.”
He joins Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly as the third player to join Chelsea in the new era under the control of Todd Boehly’s group.
Boehly commented on the acquisition of the midfielder by saying, “We are particularly looking forward to seeing him in action at Stamford Bridge. Carney is one of the most exciting young players in Europe.
“We are thrilled to be able to add such a talented young person to our squad for the new season and beyond by being able to bring him to Chelsea.”
