Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Aston Villa have moved to secure the future of a highly-rated schoolboy centre-back of Nigerian descent Kairi Kebetu by offering him a new contract, amid interest from two unnamed Premier League teams.

The 16-year-old has impressed at academy level and is regarded as one of the club's brightest prospects. 

Should he sign, Kebetu would join Aston Villa's new intake of academy scholars for the 2026–2027 season.

At present, Kebetu and his minders remain undecided about his next steps, with interest from Aston Villa's Premier League rivals complicating matters.

A versatile defender capable of playing at both centre-back and right-back, Kebetu has been tipped to make his debut in the U18 Premier League before the end of this season. 

Although officially an U16 player, he has been training regularly with Aston Villa's U18s since the start of the campaign and has also featured for the U17 squad.

Kebetu's international future is another question mark as he is eligible to represent three national teams, including Nigeria, Jamaica and England. 

However, he has expressed a preference to represent five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel