Aston Villa have reportedly granted Chelsea permission to discuss personal terms with Jhon Duran, while we’ve asked about Ian Maatsen’s availability.
It’s been a busy fortnight for Villa, as amid ongoing PSR concerns, it has become apparent that the club are looking to sell before the end of June in order to balance our books and avoid breaching the regulations, while then putting ourselves in a strong position to bring in reinforcements later this summer.
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While Douglas Luiz is seemingly on the verge of joining Juventus, speculation has been rife over the future of Duran too, and according to The Telegraph, Villa have given Chelsea the green light to open discussions over personal terms with the 20-year-old.
It’s added that a deal worth up to £40m is almost agreed between the two clubs now, but it hasn’t quite received the sign off from concerned parties. That said, if Duran is now free to talk with Chelsea about a contract proposal, that would suggest that an exit from Villa is almost inevitable.
The Colombian international scored eight goals in 37 appearances across all competitions last season, and given our lack of competition and depth behind Ollie Watkins up front, he had, and will continue to have, a pivotal role to play, if he does indeed remain beyond this summer.
However, much has been made of his possible character flaws amid ongoing social media activity that has frustrated some Villa fans, while both Unai Emery and John McGinn have made suggestive comments publicly over Duran’s personality and difficulty in adapting.
As per BBC Sport, Villa reportedly signed Duran for £18m in January 2023, and so if the touted fee above of around £40m is accurate, that is excellent business from the club to sell a player who despite having a very high ceiling and is no doubt talented, is without question an expendable figure.
Intriguingly though, the Telegraph also report that Villa have not only enquired about Conor Gallagher, but Maatsen is also a player of interest, and so should Duran’s move to Stamford Bridge go through, there is likely to be activity in the opposite direction.
Maatsen, 22, impressed on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season, and if Villa’s interest is real, that would hint at a potential reshuffle at left-back this summer as well as Emery continues to construct a squad capable of challenging at the top level in the coming years.
