Matt Law’s latest update on Chelsea’s chase for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran claims the Blues have “been given permission to discuss personal terms” with the forward.
Chelsea are “discussing personal terms and carrying out background checks on the Colombian,” according to the Daily Telegraph’s Chelsea man. He adds that “it is believed that a deal… which could be worth up to £40m, is broadly agreed, but there are hurdles to overcome.”
Any move for Duran frees up budget on Villa’s end, and they’re interested in Chelsea players Conor Gallagher and Ian Maatsen, according to this piece. A true swap deal looks unlikely, but there’s no doubt that the discussions over Duran will also be closely interlinked with potential deals for Chelsea players.
Things falling into place for another youngster to join Chelsea
What this seems to indicate is that Chelsea have agreed a transfer fee with Villa, or at least they’ve got far enough in that process that both sides are happy enough to let the Blues get started on the personal terms side of things with Duran.
Certainly Chelsea will be being extra cautious this summer after last year’s embarrassment with Michael Olise, where Crystal Palace felt the Blues had overstepped the mark in terms of speaking to the player without their permission.
Law is careful to cover himself by pointing to the potential hurdles, but both sides are clearly happy with the direction of negotiations so far.
This isn’t just about sorting out what the Colombian’s wages will be – as the “character” comments above note it’s also about finding out more about his “character” as the co-sporting directors look to continue building a really solid group. Law points out that Duran “has a reputation of being an unusual character,” explaining why there might be extra due diligence being done in this case.