5 months ago
40 ARTICLE AD
Tom OlverPublished Jun 17, 2024, 3:54pm|Updated Jun 17, 2024, 3:56pm
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is ‘excited’ by the prospect of joining Chelsea in a proposed £42million move this summer.
Chelsea are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements after a mixed debut season for Nicolas Jackson last season, in which the Senegal international managed 17 goals in all competitions for the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino.
Benjamin Sesko had been identified as Chelsea’s primary target but the west London giants have been forced to go back to the drawing board and consider their options up front, with the Slovenian deciding to extend his stay at RB Leipzig.
As a result, Duran, a target in January, has reinstated at the top of Chelsea’s transfer shortlist, despite playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins across an underwhelming opening 18 months at Villa Park.
Reports emanating out of Colombia last week claimed Chelsea had even reached a £42m agreement with Villa for Duran and talks were underway over his contract.
According to The Evening Standard, Duran is ‘excited’ by the challenge of having to prove himself at Chelsea and the player is confident he would be a ‘good fit’ for the club and their vision for the Enzo Maresca regime.
It’s claimed Duran is settled at Villa but would be keen to push through a switch to Stamford Bridge should the opportunity present itself before the summer transfer window closes.
The report adds that Chelsea and Villa share a good working relationship and finilising a transfer deal for Duran would likely be straightforward as long as all parties are in alignment.
Duran, capped nine times by the Colombia national team, is tied into a contract at Villa Park until 2028.
When he was first linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over the winter, Duran made no secret of his desire to play for a club of Chelsea’s stature.
‘I remain focused on Aston Villa. I am not aware of interest from AC Milan or Chelsea,’ he told Colombian outlet Win Sports TV.
‘They are giant clubs, and it would be a pleasure but I have no knowledge of anything.’
Duran’s agent, Jonathan Herrera, meanwhile, talked up a move to west London before Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent last month.
‘The interest has always been there. The fact that Pochettino continues or leaves the club [shouldn’t affect that]. The one who wants him in the end is the club,’ Herrara said.
‘He is a player that if they change coach or not, we will see what happens, but there has always been interest. Let’s see how we can handle it and make sure Aston Villa are ready.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : ‘They were the soul of the team’ – Gianfranco Zola says Chelsea made mistake selling three players
MORE : Didi Hamann claims Arsenal need to replace Kai Havertz to finally win the Premier League
MORE : Morten Hjulmand speaks out on Sporting future amid Manchester United transfer speculation
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
