Chukwuemeka, an England under-19 international, signed a three-year contract after he turned 17 on 20 October 2020 – the maximum permitted at that age – and Villa were desperate to tie him down for longer upon his 18th birthday. Instead, they face having to cash in on him – perhaps next summer – because, thereafter, he would be able to sign a pre-contract with an overseas club in January 2023 before becoming a free agent in the summer of that year.
Were Chukwuemeka to leave Villa under freedom of contract, they would receive a compensation fee set at tribunal. The panels have the reputation for conservative valuations.