Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is reportedly a wanted man, with both West Ham Utd and Paris Saint-Germain keen on signing him.
The 21-year-old has put a contentious summer last year behind him to establish himself as a key figure in Unai Emery’s squad so far this season, scoring 12 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.
READ MORE: Offer touted as Villa step up pursuit of key transfer target
That in turn has led to an increased role as he competes with Ollie Watkins for a starting berth, and with Villa looking to challenge across multiple fronts in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, he will continue to be an important option for the Basque coach.
However, Villa will seemingly have to fend off interest this month as The Athletic report that West Ham have made a bid worth £57m to try and prise him away, but it’s added that the club are expected to reject the offer as they have no intention of selling Duran this month.
Further, Matteo Moretto has reported that PSG are also in talks to try and sign the Colombian striker, with Villa said to be demanding in excess of €70m to green-light an exit. The expectation is that the Ligue 1 giants will return in the summer and try again, but time will tell if Villa will be more open to the idea of selling in six months time.
On one hand, Emery and Villa have a conundrum. Balancing minutes between Watkins and Duran can’t be an easy task, as both strikers will want to be first choice and playing the bulk of the minutes. With that in mind, the idea of a sale, particularly for such a significant fee, perhaps does become a more intriguing and appealing option as it would give us real wiggle room when it comes to PSR and reinvesting to strengthen the group.
Conversely, Villa have two top forwards in the squad when most clubs are struggling to find one, and with Watkins turning 30 at the end of this year, there is also the long-term picture to consider as Duran could be the replacement if or when his teammate either moves on or starts to see a decline in his performance level.
These are all factors that Villa must consider, and so while there might be more time and reason for contemplation in the summer, it undoubtedly makes sense to rebuff all interest and offers for Duran during the January transfer window, as we have a big second half of the campaign ahead of us, and Emery, Monchi and the club as a whole aren’t in the business of weakening the squad.
