Borussia Dortmund midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is headed for a major decision on his international career as the young gun is likely to switch to Austria by ditching England.
Born in the Austrian town of Eisenstadt to Nigerian parents, Das Team head coach Ralf Rangnick and the Austrian Football Association have been attempting to persuade him for a while now.
He obtained British citizenship after moving to England following which the player went on to represent the nation's Under-19 side as well as playing for Aston Villa and Chelsea in the Premier League.
But due to stiff competition for places in the starting lineup, Chukwuemeka hasn't been able to break into the Three Lions senior team so far.
At 22, it's high time Chukwuemeka steps onto the international stage and perhaps keeping that in mind, has opted to represent Austria instead as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching.
Gaining qualification for the first time since 1998, Austria have been drawn in a challenging group alongside world champions Argentina, as well as Jordan and Algeria.
Should he make the switch official, Chukwuemeka might as well be called-up by Rangnick for their international friendlies to Ghana and South Korea in March for his first slice of international football.
His addition to the squad is a massive boost for Austria, as they aim to build a side of young and talented players whereas England could lose a bright young midfield prospect.
The OFB and Rangnick had previously attempted to convince him in 2023, but rather unsuccessfully. They said:
"“As far as we know, he is a player who wants to play for England and not for Austria.”"said OFB
Chukwuemeka was a part of England's U19 Euro winning side in 2022 but it never translated into a senior call-up. With the World Cup now only four months away, it might as well be too late to prove his value and the player could switch to Austria, where he is guaranteed to feature.
Blow to Nigerian Football Team
Chukwuemeka's decision would be a blow to Nigeria, a country he was also eligible to play for through his parents.
The Super Eagles were also hoping that he would choose to represent them internationally, which would have been a major boost for the side.
But their failure to qualify for the second consecutive World Cup certainly played a factor in Chukwuemeka turning down the chance to play for Nigeria.