Man Utd and Liverpool braced for transfer battle as wonderkid refuses contract

Manchester United and Liverpool may be fierce rivals on the field, but the pair often battle away from pitch as they regularly tussle for talent in the transfer market.

This was seen most recently with Thiago as the midfielder attracted interest from both sides, and Liverpool also recently beat United to the signing of Stefan Bajcetic from Celta Vigo, and the star has now been handed a professional deal at Anfield.

The ongoing battle for new talent appears to be ongoing, and the two could lock horns once more after a rising star has reportedly refused a new contract.

The news has put the Premier League's 'big six' on high alert, but United and Liverpool are expected to be front-runners once again.

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Aston Villa's teenage star Carney Chukwuemeka has reportedly decided not to sign a new contract with the club, causing the Premier League's biggest clubs to circle.

According to The Guardian, the 18-year-old has decided that his future is not at Villa Park, and the star wants to seek a move away from the club due to interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and United.

The report continues to claim that the midfielder has become irritated with the lack of first team opportunities that have been presented at Villa and fears that he is at risk of falling further down the pecking order.

Due to heavy reinvestment following the £100m sale of Jack Grealish to City, Chukwuemeka fears that new boss Steven Gerrard will rely on players already established at the club, with further new signings expected, at the expense of their youngsters.

Should Liverpool decide to go for Chukwuemeka, they'll likely battle it out between other Premier League rivals as well as heavy interest from European clubs, with German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also interested.

Chukwuemeka arrived at Villa's youth academy from Northampton Town in 2016 and signed a contract extension last year which extended his stay at the club until 2023.

Despite the 18-year-old's frustrations over lack of game time, he is clearly highly rated at the club, as when the player was aged just 16, Villa's chief executive Christian Purslow described him as the best in the country in his age group.

Purslow was assertive in his beliefs too, saying there was 'absolutely no debate' in the matter.

Chukwuemeka has a market value of just £2.25m according to transfermarkt, but although he has impressed within the youth ranks, the 18-year-old is still a relatively unknown quantity at senior level, only making five appearances for Villa so far.

Three of those appearances have come in the Premier League, and his first league start came in Villa's 1-1 draw against Brentford back in August, but Chukwuemeka has failed to feature since.