Journalist Luke Hatfield reckons that Aston Villa find themselves in an "awkward" situation regarding the future of Carney Chukwuemeka.

The 18-year-old has made big strides in the Villa first-team this season, including his first Premier League start.

But according to reports, Chukwuemeka doesn't want to sign a new contract at Villa Park, which has alerted some of the top clubs in the Premier League.

What's the latest news with Chukwuemeka?

The young midfielder, whose deal expires at the end of 2022-2023, has been catching the eye playing for the Under-23s, but following his recent progression, is now a regular in the first-team set up.

Chukwuemeka has made four appearances in total this season and made his full top-flight debut against Brentford in August before coming off the bench in the defeat to Man City on Wednesday night in his only other league outing.

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Such was his bright display against City, journalist Henry Winter reacted on Twitter by saying that Villa need to keep the teenager, who managed 14 touches in his 24-minute cameo and registered one of Villa's three shots on target.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also linked with the midfielder and Hatfield said that losing him would be a blow for Steven Gerrard.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

What did Hatfield say about Chukwuemeka?

When asked whether losing Chukwuemeka would be a blow for Villa, he told GIVEMESPORT: "Yeah, a little bit. He's the one who's really highly thought of in terms of youth prospects in English football at the moment.

"But it's an awkward situation because a club won't want to be held by ransom by a young player."

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Can Gerrard change Chukwuemeka's mind?

Right now, the Villa boss appears up against it, especially as Chukwuemeka believes that Gerrard will turn to senior professionals rather than giving youngsters a chance.

But giving him minutes against Manchester City sends a clear message to the player that if you're good enough, you're old enough.

Chukwuemeka was introduced before the likes of Keinan Davies and Anwar El-Ghazi, which shows that Gerrard clearly rates him.

Therefore, the Villa boss will likely be hoping that the midfielder will repay his faith by committing his future to the club.