Fabrizio Romano weighs in on Jhon Duran’s immediate future, insisting Aston Villa will keep the 20-year-old Chelsea target at the club.
Fabrizio Romano on Give Me Sport insists Aston Villa have no interest in selling Jhon Duran in this window amid heavy interest from Premier League sides. The 20-year-old Colombian international only joined last January, and despite reports stating the contrary, the club plans to keep him.
Aston Villa to keep Jhon Duran
Aston Villa paid well over double of Jhon Duran’s market value in January 2023, and he has slowly established into the first team setup. Despite reports earlier this month stating Unai Emery wanted to sell the striker, although those have been squashed.
The story gave rise to speculation linking Duran to multiple clubs, with Chelsea being the latest to be connected. Aston Villa do not have specific cover for star striker Ollie Watkins, which would make the club’s decision to keep the 20-year-old Chelsea target sensible.
Aston Villa recently rejected an approach from West Ham for the striker, which started pointing towards the club leaning towards keeping Duran. Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on Duran’s future, insisting the club is planning to keep the Colombian this month.
Romano said, “I’m hearing that an accurate proposal came from Italy for Duran to make a move happen, and Aston Villa said no. From what I heard, there have been some contacts from England but never an official bid for Duran.
“I think Villa’s absolute priority will be to keep some of their players, like Duran. They had some proposals and opportunities for a loan deal for Duran, but they always wanted to keep the player at the club. So, I think this is Villa’s real focus now.”
Why was Chelsea interested in Duran?
Chelsea have been looking for a new striker this month, but FFP had their hands curtailed. Hence, the Blues have seen far less activity in this window than many would expect. After some dismal performances in the first half of the season, they desperately needed a new centre-forward.
Despite their reported interest in Duran, they have cooled the chase for the Aston Villa man and others. They feel they will target a big-name striker like Victor Osimhen in the summer and continue their season with their existing options, including Armando Broja.
As for Duran, he must have been flattered that so many clubs have shown an interest in signing him, considering his meaningful impact under Emery. The Spanish manager has a good track record with young forwards and will look to weave his magic on the 20-year-old Colombian.
