In a recent report, Calciomercato claimed that Aston Villa are among clubs hoping to sign Chicago Fire forward Jhon Duran. It has been mentioned that the Villans could face competition in the form of Benfica, Fulham, Brentford, Manchester United and Chelsea in pursuit of the Colombian talent.
Duran’s Encouraging Form For Chicago Fire This Season
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a decent campaign in Major League Soccer as he has put in a series of impressive displays for the Chicago outfit in the final third. Duran has registered eight goals and five assists in 27 matches for the American outfit this season across multiple competitions.
The three-time Colombia international has performed well at times by averaging 2.2 shots and 0.4 dribbles per game in the MLS. However, he has lacked quality when linking up play with others around him in the final third, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 70.5% in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current deal with the MLS club is set to expire at the end of 2024. Even though the Villans could face stiff competition from other top clubs, they could potentially land him on the cheap next year.
What Will Duran Bring To Aston Villa?
Duran is proficient at finding space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He can make some good runs with the ball as well when he is playing with confidence in the final third. Standing at 1.85m, the Colombian attacker can hold possession up for his team but is still quite raw and would need time to prove his worth at the highest level. The Medellin-born talent is primarily a centre-forward but can also fill in as a winger on either flank if his manager tells him to do so.
We can expect Duran to bring some much-needed firepower to Aston Villa‘s attack. At the very least, he is already good enough to increase competition for places within Unai Emery‘s match-day squad.
However, there are some concerns about whether Duran can adapt to the physical nature and high intensity of English football if the Villans manage to win the race for his services.
At 19, Duran has got the ceiling to become a future star in England as long as Emery is willing to be patient with his progress at Villa Park. All in all, the West Midlands club should prioritize on stepping up their efforts to land the Colombian whizkid next year.
