Chelsea’s interest in Jhon Duran seemed to come out of nowhere when it was first mentioned back in January, but the trickle of rumours has continued ever since, and it’s now very convincing.
Yesterday it went as far as Fabrizio Romano openly declaring that negotiations are “ongoing” and that “Duran wants Chelsea,” meaning he’s “giving them priority over Italian clubs.”
He clearly fancies the move, and Chelsea’s sporting directors have clearly identified him as a raw talent that will fit well in the squad. He lacks experience, even after a decent spell with Villa, but has the tools they’re looking for.
Unai Emery’s team are in a strong bargaining position – but they need money for their FFP compliance, and getting a decent offer for a backup player may prove irresistible for them.
A dilemma for the striker
Duran is in a very interesting position here. He’s clearly fancied by a lot of teams, as he has Chelsea as well as these unnamed “Italian clubs” interested in him.
But Aston Villa are in the Champions League, meaning next year there will be more chances for him to perform, and on a much bigger stage. In a way, from his point of view, it would be a risk to throw that away. If he holds on 12 months, he can expect to leverage an even bigger move with an even bigger salary.
But football is a funny old game, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Moving from Aston Villa’s bench to Chelsea’s bench is a sideways move at best, but perhaps the bump in wages will swing him, and perhaps he fancies his chances of dislodging Nicolas Jackson more than he does his chances of getting minutes ahead of the prolific Ollie Watkins.
