Carney Chukwuemeka

[Demitri_C]

25 minutes ago, sidcow said:

I meant in terms of having left the club and now being the top of the other football thread list.

Oh ok

[Zatman]

17 minutes ago, MarkLillis said:

Thanks for listing Carneys highlights.These have come during approx 20 first team appearances btw.

I can’t be sure but I think Gareth Barry was in the frame for England by then.

But Carney has hit the post I guess

His minutea added up to 4 full games

Players also develop more at different ages but Barry didnt make his international debut until 19. Sadly which somes up Southgate that if Chuk does get minutes for Chelsea he will get a cap soon ahead of Ramsey

[The_Steve]

Anyone with a sub post the story? Thanks!

 

 

[Kingman]

16 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Anyone with a sub 

This is the sub  

 

[Demitri_C]

When you think we get coutinho for less than what chelsea are paying it shows what a good amount of money we received for him

[ender4]

47 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Anyone with a sub post the story? Thanks!

 

 

So basically Purslow got Boehly drunk and told him to pay up if he wants the chuk.

[JoshVilla]

 

Fully agree. In my eyes, he was very highly rated but he hadn't really done anything at PL level to warrant pushing for a move. It remains to be seen how he will develop now at Chelsea, but I maintain that a few more years at Villa would have been best for him.

We move on.

[The_Steve]

8 minutes ago, JoshVilla said:

 

Fully agree. In my eyes, he was very highly rated but he hadn't really done anything at PL level to warrant pushing for a move. It remains to be seen how he will develop now at Chelsea, but I maintain that a few more years at Villa would have been best for him.

We move on.

That’s exactly the mentality we need. 

[TheStagMan]

I still can't believe we got £20m for him. Seems ludicrous as I have just not seen him live up to all the hype on the pitch. Sure he is young and still needs to develop, but versus JJ or Archer he hasn't looked like some wonderkid. Chelsea giving him a 6 year deal at £100k/week (if true) is utterly mind-blowing. 

The club has been faultless in their approach to this. If he did not want to commit to the club (and run his contract down instead) then he gets sold, or sidelined - we do not bend over to accommodate a player who does not want to commit. Frankly, we have played a blinder here.

I can't see Chelsea giving him buckets of game time, but if they do and he shines, then good for him. 

Does this mean we have to sell them Caleb as well now?

[villanmac]

2 hours ago, ender4 said:

So basically Purslow got Boehly drunk and told him to pay up if he wants the chuk.

There's obviously a lot we don't see so can't judge but no one can tell me that Purslow is not an absolute force at what he does.

Apparently, he ran all of those prem committee meetings during lockdown and even without the Chukwuemeka thing I would have bet he'd be the one sitting next to Boehly at that dinner. 

[TheStagMan]

2 hours ago, Kingman said:

This is the sub  

 

"Yeah, so if you go through the gates on the left there, and down the path you will come to the store shed, so if you could go and grab the cones and the training bibs and set them out, that would be great"

[NoelVilla]

2 hours ago, Kingman said:

This is the sub  

 

There is the bus to Arnhem.

[MellbergsBeard]

3 hours ago, The_Steve said:

Anyone with a sub post the story? Thanks!

 

 

The breakthrough in Carney Chukwuemeka’s £20million move from Aston Villa down to Chelsea came at a dinner in London hosted by Todd Boehly.

The new co-owner at Stamford Bridge invited executives from the 19 other Premier League clubs to an informal get-together last month, with Villa chief executive Christian Purslow seen sitting next to the American, locked in engaging conversation.

It is understood Chukwuemeka was at the heart of the talks as Chelsea’s academy and scouting staff had compiled a dossier on the 18-year-old’s strengths, prompting Boehly to go on a fact-finding mission.

Villa’s stance on the youngster, recognised as one of the top emerging attacking midfielders in the country, had been clear for some time. They wanted to extend his contract — and even offered to make him the highest-paid teenager in the top flight.

If Chukwuemeka was to be sold it would only be for the right money.

Barcelona had considered an offer and Italian champions AC Milan were willing to pay €3.5million (£3m) to sign him this summer. There was rival interest from England but nothing to suggest that a club would offer enough money to appease Villa.

Yet that all changed soon after the dinner, where Boehly and Purslow were said to have got on well, as discussions officially started. The move was wrapped up in less than a week.

Chelsea now have a player packed with so much potential that a decision has been made to integrate him into the first-team squad immediately with no plan for a loan to gain more experience. An excited Boehly said on completion of the deal: “Carney is one of the most exciting young players in Europe so we are really looking forward to seeing him in action at Stamford Bridge.”

For Villa, there is a degree of disappointment at being unable to keep hold of a player they have nurtured since the age of 12.

Yet this will not undo the work that has gone on in their academy, where three years of continued growth has made the Villa youth development system one of the best in the country.

The lingering Chukwuemeka contract situation appeared to be heading into a period of uncertainty. But by the time he was winning the Under-19 European Championship with England at the start of last month, it had become a case of when he was leaving Villa, not if.

After he rejected their final offer, a club decision was made to leave him out of the first-team squad that travelled to Australia for last month’s three-game pre-season tour.

Chukwuemeka was ordered to train with the under-23s, and with Milan and Barcelona refusing to get anywhere near the asking price, the most obvious outcome appeared to be a further stand-off until September 2 — the day after the transfer window closes.

That situation was unhealthy for all, especially as, come January 1, Chukwuemeka would have been able to discuss a move next summer when his contract was due to expire.

 

Villa would have been entitled to just £400,000 of training compensation had he left in that fashion, so to now get £20million ($24.3m) for a player who has started just two Premier League games is quite the deal.

It was Purslow who led the crunch negotiations, initially hoping to keep Chukwuemeka around, but then switching his focus to finding a willing buyer on Villa’s terms. There was no plan to let him leave on the cheap.

Since arriving as a minority investor in 2018 alongside co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, Purslow has successfully signed more than 60 young players of a similar age to Chukwuemeka, but tying this one down was a complex and curious process from the start.

Villa offered the former Northampton Town academy kid a competitive new contract on his 18th birthday in October, with the most lucrative deal for a player of that age following.

A clear pathway into Steven Gerrard’s first team was proposed and had the former Liverpool and England midfielder’s full buy-in but the chain of events over the last month — being left at home for that pre-season tour and training with the under-23s — signalled a departure was inevitable.

The size of the fee Chelsea are paying has shocked many people in football, including those at clubs who were also monitoring Chukwuemeka — it makes Villa landing Philippe Coutinho, a 30-year-old, 69-cap Brazil international who cost £142million in 2018, from Barcelona for £17million earlier this summer look even more of an attractive deal.

The hush-hush nature of Chelsea’s interest was telling.

Outside Chukwuemeka’s inner circle, the first many knew about the move to the current world champions was when a choreographed statement appeared on the websites of both Premier League clubs.

Chelsea’s interest has been long-standing, though.

Academy staff started to take notice of his talent during Villa’s run to winning the 2020-21 FA Youth Cup, where he starred. Chukwuemeka’s impressive performances in the Under-19 Euros earlier this summer only enhanced their admiration, and he has been assured of a place within the first-team set-up.

Chelsea acted swiftly as they feared Barcelona and Milan had moved ahead of them in the race for his signature.

The difficulty for Chukwuemeka now is breaking into the team at an elite club who have an internationally-renowned and world-class squad.

Villa showed him a clear pathway last season — out of a limited pool of players born in 2003, only Chukwuemeka and Norwich City’s Jonathan Rowe recorded double-digit appearances in the Premier League.

He was the youngest player to start a 2021-22 Premier League game, the 1-1 draw with Brentford last August when Dean Smith was still Villa manager, and successor Gerrard had spoken about wanting him to stick around, too.

Though he played a slightly more defensive role in central midfield for England, he is a natural No 8 or No 10 and favours an attacking role and it was his performances for Villa’s development teams in such advanced areas that formed the basis of Chelsea’s detailed scouting report.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel has Mason Mount and Kai Havertz at his position, as well as Conor Gallagher, who did so well on loan at Crystal Palace last season that he ended up in the England squad.

The future of other Chelsea midfielders is less certain, however, with Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Billy Gilmourexpected to consider their options elsewhere before the window closes.

Chukwuemeka faced a challenge breaking in at Villa too, but this will be an even sterner test. He believes in his abilities having grown up watching clips of former Brazil star Kaka, hoping one day to emulate his idol.

For Chelsea, it is one of many calculated gambles made this summer.

They got 18-year-old Jamaica international winger Omari Hutchinson to move from Arsenal by offering a higher salary, and this week completed the £12million signing of goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, also 18, from MLS side Chicago Fire.

Brazilian club Palmeiras’ forward Endrick, 16, is next on the wish list and with a history of turning young players into first-team stars, the future is again looking bright.

Back at Villa, there will always be the question of why did Chukwuemeka, born in Austria to Nigerian parents who later moved to the UK, not want to stick around when almost all their other youngsters have.

“I couldn’t get Chelsea out of my head… and I can’t wait to get on the pitch, meet all the players and try to win games and trophies,” he said.

There will now be a close focus on his development as he prepares for this new challenge.

 

[a-k]

29 minutes ago, MellbergsBeard said:

Outside Chukwuemeka’s inner circle, the first many knew about the move to the current world champions was when a choreographed statement appeared on the websites of both Premier League clubs.

 

[a m ole]

I doubt there was ever any intention to stay and fight for a place here, so we’ve done really well to get that figure.

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, TheStagMan said:

I still can't believe we got £20m for him. Seems ludicrous as I have just not seen him live up to all the hype on the pitch. Sure he is young and still needs to develop, but versus JJ or Archer he hasn't looked like some wonderkid. Chelsea giving him a 6 year deal at £100k/week (if true) is utterly mind-blowing. 

Archer has 2 years on him and JJ 3.  Chukwuemeka, in the youth games I saw last season, looked absolutely immense.  Streets ahead of many of the other players in games.  Only one who came close (and I was impressed with) was Iroegbunam.

Archer has done absolutely nothing to suggest he's anything special.  He's being hyped up far too much (of course, could continue to develop very nicely).

[TheStagMan]

50 minutes ago, a-k said:

Well, they are the current world champions. In much the same way that we are the current Queensland champions

[TheStagMan]

9 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Archer has 2 years on him and JJ 3.  Chukwuemeka, in the youth games I saw last season, looked absolutely immense.  Streets ahead of many of the other players in games.  Only one who came close (and I was impressed with) was Iroegbunam.

Archer has done absolutely nothing to suggest he's anything special.  He's being hyped up far too much (of course, could continue to develop very nicely).

Fair enough - that's your opinion but at this point I have seen more from the two players I mentioned (at senior level) than I have from "Carns". In the Youth games I have seen, he has been twice the size (exaggeration) than a lot of the players he has been up against.  He might turn out to be great. At the moment I am not seeing it and I think £20m is astronomically good business. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by TheStagMan

[bobzy]

Just now, TheStagMan said:

Fair enough - that's your opinion but at this point I have seen more from the two players I mentioned (at senior level) than I have from "Carns". He might turn out to be great. At the moment I am not seeing it and I think £20m is astronomically good business. 

He's barely played at senior level, so I suppose that's fair enough  

[Panto_Villan]

It’s a shame he left but £20m is astoundingly good money given the circumstances. And it’s not like any of our other promising youngsters seen intent on forcing a move either, so I don’t think any of it reflects badly on Villa.

I’m generally not someone that begrudges players moving onto bigger and better things, but this saga has irritated me. It’s one thing moving on if you’re too good for us, but he’s not - he’s done nothing to suggest he should currently be playing in the Villa first eleven imo. I’m sure he’ll develop further but right now he’s not good enough for us.

That said I do understand why a player would prefer to be integrated into the Chelsea squad rather than the Villa one (more games, possible CL minutes). And Chelsea clearly rate him given they’re willing to pay so much for him - so I’m not too bitter.

If he’d refused to sign and forced a move on a free next summer in hope someone bigger would snap him up, the situation would have a very different complexion. I’d probably be genuinely angry rather than a bit irritated.

Given he hasn’t done anything to earn the affection I still have for Barry / Milner / Benteke / Grealish, I hope he fades into obscurity. It’d be nice to think Villa got the best of the deal rather than Chelsea.