1 month ago
12 Chelsea and Arsenal may reportedly have missed out on a huge transfer opportunity due to fact that Jhon Duran no longer has a release clause in his contract at Aston Villa.
The talented young Colombia international has been in superb form at Villa Park this season, but that could understandably put top clubs on alert for his signature in upcoming transfer windows.
Chelsea have shown an interest in Duran, as Fabrizio Romano has previously reported via his YouTube channel, while a recent report from Fichajes also mentioned Duran to Arsenal as a possible story to watch out for.
Duran is surely good enough to make the step up to top clubs like those, but Villa are also a team on the rise at the moment, and Dan Bardell claims the 20-year-old no longer has a buy-out clause for this precise reason.
Speaking to Villa News, Bardell said: “I think Villa have moved away from release clauses now. It is my understanding now that there isn’t one.
Jhon Duran has been the star player for Aston Villa this season. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)“Release clauses for the days of giving Jack Grealish and Douglas Luiz new contracts were for when Villa were a middling Premier League club who weren’t doing anything.
“Villa are now operating at the highest level and are a Champions League club and teams at that level don’t put release clauses in contracts.
“I think the more important thing for Duran is that he’ll have been given certain assurances of his pathway into the first team and how things are going to work for him at Villa.
“Ultimately, that will be why he has decided to sign a new deal with a new pay rise in there as well.”
Jhon Duran transfer: Opportunity gone for Chelsea and Arsenal?
This could be a blow for the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal as Villa are now under no pressure to sell Duran unless they receive the kind of huge money that they want.
This could mean these clubs have to turn elsewhere to look for quality signings up front, which they surely still both need.
Duran, however, is both young and proven in the Premier League, and it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t have been absolutely perfect as an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, or as a more long-term solution for Mikel Arteta’s side than using Kai Havertz up front when it’s not even clear if that’s his best position.

 
It will be interesting to see how Duran continues to develop under Unai Emery, who has done a fantastic job as Villa manager and who can surely give the player a chance to keep on improving and playing in a team that competes in the Champions League and perhaps even brings home some silverware.
