Arsenal stance on in-form €90m-rated hot-shot could spell trouble for former manager Unai Emery



West Ham will be kicking themselves that they didn’t sign Jhon Duran, with Arsenal and Barcelona now in the mix to prise him from Aston Villa.

The Colombian has been in sensational form for the Villains and seems to score important goals every time he’s given the opportunity, however, his ill discipline has often got him into trouble.

That might go some way to explaining why Unai Emery prefers Ollie Watkins as his preferred striker, with Duran needing to show consistency both on and off the pitch before the Spaniard unleashes him into his starting XI on a regular basis.

Jhon Duran could force Unai Emery into quick decision

So far, in just 404 minutes of action in all competitions – equivalent to just over four full games – the striker has scored on seven occassions (transfermarkt).

It’s therefore little wonder that Emery’s former employers, Arsenal, and La Liga giants, Barcelona, are looking at the possibilities as far as the €90m-rated Colombian hit-man is concerned, per Fichajes.

Arsenal and Barcelona want Jhon Duran. Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Duran just seems to have that little bit about him that allows him to stand out from the crowd, but as with many players that play right on the edge, that’s a bit of fire in his personality that often takes the shine off of his excellence.

Given that he’s continued to prove his importance to the squad, Duran certainly has a decent enough claim to be given a fair crack now, rather than having to keep biding his time.


 

At just 20 years of age, it’s unlikely he’ll want to be someone known as a ‘super sub’ at this early stage of his career.

With so much apparent interest in taking him elsewhere too, Aston Villa run the very real risk of seeing him depart the club, even though it’s believed he has recently signed a new contract with the Midlands-based side.