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Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has played down rumours linking him with a move to Chelsea this January, though admits it would be a ‘dream’ to join a club of such stature in the game.
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Chelsea broke the bank on new recruits last summer as Todd Boehly took his total spending in west London past £1billion, with the likes of Axel Disasi, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson all arriving through the doors at Stamford Bridge.
But the Blues’ inauspicious start to the campaign under Mauricio Pochettino has forced the club to turn to the market again this winter as they strive to boost their prospects in the second half of the season.
Jackson has flattered to deceive following his £32million switch from Villarreal and reports this week indicate that Chelsea are weighing up a shock short-term loan move for Villa forward Duran.
Duran has netted twice in the Premier League this term, struggling for regular game-time as an understudy to England star Ollie Watkins up front in Unai Emery’s starting XI, but the Colombian remains firmly on Chelsea’s radar.
However, it appears Chelsea will have to pursue other avenues, with Duran pouring cold water on the recent speculation.
‘I remain focussed on Aston Villa,’ Duran told Colombian outlet Win Sports TV when asked about speculation linking him with AC Milan and Chelsea.
‘I am not aware of interest from AC Milan or Chelsea.
‘They are giant clubs, and it would be a pleasure.
‘But I have no knowledge of anything.’
Duran, though, who arrived at Villa Park from Chicago Fire in January 2023, conceded he has ‘dreamed’ of joining clubs such as Milan and Chelsea since childhood.
‘As a child you dream of playing there,’ the Colombia international added.
It’s understood Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson are among Chelsea’s top attacking targets, but the Stamford Bridge giants will likely have to wait for the summer to get a permanent deal over the line.
Asked about Chelsea’s transfer plans last week, Pochettino refused to rule out the possibility of attacking reinforcements being added to his squad before the January deadline.
‘We are assessing the squad like always,’ the Argentine told reporters.
‘But I am happy because we have different options to play in the striker positions and then we need our second line offensive players to step up and score and help the team score and win games.’
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