Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has provided an update on Alex Moreno’s future, and addressed speculation surrounding Jhon Duran this summer.
Villa secured a 2-1 win over West Ham Utd in our Premier League season opener this weekend, but there was still a focus on transfer talk after the game with the club expected to be active in the last weeks of the window.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as Villa kick off new season with impressive win at West Ham
Speculation prior to kick-off had linked Moreno with a departure on loan as he’s likely to struggle for playing time with Ian Maatsen and Lucas Digne fighting for a starting berth too, and the Spaniard seemingly is the more likely left-back option to move on this summer.
It’s unclear if that was always the plan or if Emery preferred to keep Moreno and perhaps move Digne on, but based on his comments on Saturday evening, it’s now becoming clearer as to who will depart.
“We signed Ian Maatsen and were speaking with some different players in this position now we have difficulties to manage with three specific left full-backs,” he told reporters in his post-match press conference. “We were thinking to be strong in this position and Alex Moreno is a player who he is now close to leaving.”
Ultimately, it’s the sensible thing to do from Villa’s perspective as we don’t need three top options for the same position, but it could be argued that Moreno would have been the more effective option to keep given his suitability to Emery’s system and style, but injuries have raised question marks over his reliability over the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, after all the talk around Duran this summer amid real doubts over his future at Villa, he produced the perfect impact off the bench this weekend to score our winning goal.
Having been given the No.9 shirt and with Emery never wavering from wanting to unlock the Colombian international’s potential to make him a key member of the squad, it sounds increasingly likely that the 20-year-old will still be a Villa player when the transfer window closes.
While there was still perhaps a hint of suggesting that if a significant offer were to arrive that meets our demands, Duran could still be sold, Emery made it clear that he doesn’t want him to leave, and as his adaptation process and development continues, he’ll have a big role to play in providing support and depth for Ollie Watkins up front.
Villa confirmed the departure of Cameron Archer earlier this week, and so that in itself clears the path for Duran to be more involved, and it’s hoped if he does stay as Emery desires, he can keep his head down, work hard and continue to make important contributions when called upon.
“At the beginning I wanted him here and nothing changed after the match today. Before the match was the same and after the game is the same,” he added on Duran. “We were before, with every player, open in case a big offer comes in, and one of those players is him. But we know his potential and we know in case he is leaving, it is because the offer is good for the club.
“But I don’t want him to leave. I want to see him here with us because I believe in his process, increasing his level more and more. We will need two strikers for the long season with lots of matches, with Watkins and Jhon Duran.”
