Jhon Duran's situation at Aston Villa 'looking a bit different' amid sale rumour

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·20 January 2024

Jhon Duran's situation at Aston Villa 'looking a bit different' amid sale rumour

Aston Villa could still sanction a transfer for underperforming striker Jhon Duran during the January window, with interest in the centre-forward coming from the Premier League, Dean Jones has revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

It's 12 months since Duran arrived at the club and despite joining amid plenty of promise, it hasn't proved to be a successful move for the forward so far. Understandably second choice behind Ollie Watkins, Duran has had to be patient for minutes, but when afforded them by manager Unai Emery, the Colombian hasn't been able to impress.

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And as a result, it's led to suggestions he could be shipped out of the club during the January transfer window.

Arriving amid plenty of fanfare one year ago, it's safe to say Duran's move to Villa Park hasn't captured the imagination just yet. The striker was part of a £15 million transfer move that saw him join the club from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire in January 2024, but fast forward 12 months and talk of an exit has already started to crop up.

It has been claimed in the past that Emery isn't keen on Duran, with the two having come to blows already this season. Stories emerged of a fractured relationship late last year, with the player himself even deleting reference to Aston Villa as a whole across his social media accounts.

What's more, the 20-year-old also posted on social media that he hadn't been injured for a match he was left out of the squad for, leading to suggestions he wasn't happy with his current role under Emery at Aston Villa.

Duran underperforming when given the chance for Aston Villa

It hasn't been for the lack of minutes on the pitch either, with Duran afforded plenty of opportunities to show his worth. Across all competitions so far this season, Duran has featured 23 times, but has only found the back of the net on four occasions - not the best return for a centre-forward.

Granted, often his minutes would come in the form of a substitute appearance, making it harder to influence the game. This is particularly evident in the Premier League, where Duran is yet to make a start for the West Midlands outfit, having found himself to be firmly second choice behind the in-form Watkins.

On the back of this, talk about Duran leaving the club has started to pick up, with Jones himself hinting it was a possibility during an interview with GIVEMESPORT last week. And now it's been reported that Chelsea could emerge as a shock candidate to take Duran on loan during the January window, offering him an opportunity to stay in the Premier League itself.

Dean Jones update - Duran exit likely during January window

When quizzed by GIVEMESPORT about the latest in regard to Duran's future, transfer insider Jones revealed that an exit away from Villa Park was looking more and more likely as the window progresses. Claiming Duran's exit could spark Aston Villa into life this window, the reliable reporter told Villans fans to brace themselves for action in the window's final couple of weeks.

On the current situation with Aston Villa, Emery and Duran, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“I'm still half expecting a forward to arrive, to be honest. I mean, there's the continued rumours about Jhon Duran and there is substance to the reasoning as to why he might be available in this transfer window. I think things are looking a little bit different for him over the past week, in terms of having a chance to stay at Aston Villa. “But with the continued links, now with Chelsea as well being linked with him, I think it suggests that Aston Villa are still open to selling him and they would only be open to losing a player like that if they were thinking of replacing him. So I think there's a good possibility that Aston Villa do look for a forward right at the end of this window.”

Aston Villa eyeing late move for forward

Who that forward might be remains to be seen, but if reports coming out of Spain are to be believed, Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad attacker Mikel Oyarzabal.

It's suggested that both Aston Villa and Manchester United are keen on the Real Sociedad man, but somewhat surprisingly, it's mooted Villa Park is the 26-year-old's preferred destination. The Spaniard is well known by Emery, following the Aston Villa boss' time in La Liga, and Oyarzabal could prove the perfect January addition for the unlikely title contenders this month.