In a recent tweet, RCN Radio journalist Guillermo Arango stated that Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran is on the radar of Chelsea. It has been claimed that the Blues have intensified their efforts to sign the Colombian striker from the Villans in this January transfer window.
🚨 #Chelsea ha intensificado en las últimas horas la contratación de Jhon Durán del #AstonVilla
Sin embargo no será una operación fácil, "Los Villanos" rechazaron una oferta del #WestHam que pretendía al delantero en préstamo. pic.twitter.com/UPicqtjaKI
— Guillermo Arango (@guilloarango) January 24, 2024
Duran’s Frustrations At Villa Park This Season
Duran has struggled to earn regular playing opportunities at Villa Park this season as he has often found himself behind Ollie Watkins in Unai Emery’s pecking order. The 20-year-old has netted four goals and grabbed one assist in 23 matches for the West Midlands club during this campaign across various competitions.
The Colombian sensation has made all of his appearances off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.9 shots, 0.1 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League. However, he lacks quality when linking up play with others around him in the final third, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 66.7% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Duran is currently struggling to gain Emery’s trust at the Midlands club. Hence, it makes sense for the player to seek a move elsewhere in search of more playing time in the coming seasons.
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Cash In On Duran?
Duran can engineer some space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. However, he has to find a way to be more clinical in the final third and also needs to improve his ball distribution up top.
The Colombian talent is still quite raw and would need to prove his worth in top-flight football. At the moment, he is surplus to requirements at Villa Park as Unai Emery is unlikely to use him unless Ollie Watkins becomes unavailable.
Thus, the Villans should consider cashing in on Duran and using the money generated from his potential sale to bring in a suitable replacement before the end of this transfer window. At 20, he has the potential to become a future star at the highest level. Still, Aston Villa would be better off moving him on this winter as they simply cannot afford to make the youngster unhappy which might disrupt the chemistry of Emery’s squad.
