Steven Gerrard will be 'desperate' to keep hold of coveted Aston Villa gem Carney Chukwuemeka. 

That is according to sports journalist Pete O'Rourke, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

A host of elite European clubs are said to be pursuing Chukwuemeka, with a recent talkSPORT report identifying Liverpool, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona as the teams who have been linked.

Significantly, the 18-year-old midfielder is now into the final year of his contract at Villa Park. Gerrard has said the club have 'done everything' to convince him to commit, but the player is apparently keen to leave (via Birmingham Live).

Chukwuemeka has made 16 appearances for the Villa first team up to this point, including two Premier League starts.

The latest

O'Rourke has said that Villa have been trying to secure Chukwuemeka's future for some time, but to no avail.

There is considerable excitement about what he could achieve at Villa going forward, but his future in the Midlands is clearly in doubt.

O'Rourke told GiveMeSport about the 18-year-old: "It's been a priority for Villa for a while now to sort out his long-term future. He has been linked with a move for the last couple of transfer windows.

"He's obviously highly-rated, and they have high hopes for him, so Gerrard will be desperate to keep him in the long-term to see how he can fit into the Aston Villa team."

The verdict

It's easy to understand why Chukwuemeka has so many suitors. He started every game for England's under-19s en route to glory at the recent European Championships at that age level, while Goal ranked him 37th on their list of the best 50 wonderkids in world football in March.

Indeed, Villa journalist John Townley has called the 18-year-old's potential 'scary', while talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him a 'superstar in the making'.

Gerrard and Villa may be torn - do they take their opportunity to cash in on an outstanding academy graduate, or do they fully integrate him into the first team next season in a bid to change his mind?

There's certainly a dilemma to face, but considering Chukwuemeka's undoubted potential, Villa must take great care with their eventual decision on the youngster.