Chelsea have agreed a deal for Aston Villa teenager Carney Chukwuemeka.

The 18-year-old midfielder had been frozen out by manager Steven Gerrard after refusing to sign an extension to his contract which expires next summer.

Gerrard left the midfielder out of the club’s pre-season tour of Australia and he has been training with the under-23s. Gerard was understood to have put a £20million price tag on the player.

“Aston Villa and Chelsea can confirm that the clubs have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Carney Chukwuemeka,” said a Villa statement.

“The 18-year-old has been given permission to travel to London to discuss both personal terms and undergo a medical.”

Chukwuemeka, who turns 19 in October, made his first-team debut in May 2021 and last season made 13 appearances but has made just two Premier League starts.

“Carney’s yet to sign a contract offer that’s been in place for some time now, so I’ve decided that the best thing for him would be to continue his training programme back at Bodymoor,” Gerrard said last month.

There was interest from Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund for Chukwuemeka, who will reportedly sign a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

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