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James GoldmanPublished Jun 14, 2024, 7:57am|Updated Jun 14, 2024, 7:58am
Chelsea are close to agreeing personal terms with Jhon Duran, but a transfer will only occur if the Blues offer Aston Villa at least one player in part exchange.
Colombia international Duran is desperate to make the move to Stamford Bridge after just one season at Villa Park where he helped Unai Emery’s side qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea are keen to add a new striker to their squad this summer to compliment the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.
New manager Enzo Maresca has already missed out on Benjamin Sesko, who was also wanted by Arsenal, after the RB Leipzig talisman committed his future to the Bundesliga club by signing a new contract.
Chelsea are now pressing ahead with their attempts to sign Duran, but a conventional money only deal will not be enough for Villa to part company with the 20-year-old.
Instead, Villa, according to Fabrizio Romano, are waiting for Chelsea to offer at least one player as a potential makeweight, but any deal involving Conor Gallagher would be separate to the Duran transfer.
The England international remains in a state of limbo with a number of club interested in signing a player who would represent ‘pure profit’ to Chelsea were he to be sold.
Tottenham have coveted the 24-year-old for well over 12 months but the player was in no mood to discuss his future speaking ahead of the Three Lions opening Euro 2024 fixture against Serbia on Sunday.
Asked if he sees himself at Chelsea next season, Gallagher said on Thursday: ‘Well, I am a Chelsea player right now and like I said, now I am just thinking about England and the tournament.’
Gallagher also paid tribute to Mauricio Pochettino for helping him develop at Chelsea this season.
‘You’ve said it, I’ve just been focusing on England and this is the most important thing right now, for me, for the country, I just want to start the tournament now,’ the midfielder said.
Villa, meanwhile, will likely need to be creative in the market this summer if they are to add to a squad which is preparing for its first taste of Champions League football.
The club’s billionaire co-owner Nassef Sawiris blasted ‘anti-competitive’ spending rules he believes are blocking his club’s progress.
He said: ‘Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport. The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.
‘Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs.
‘It’s more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game.’ He added that PSR rules were ‘opaque and… seemingly arbitrary.’
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