It’s been some transformation from Jhon Duran over the past two months, but it’s ultimately resulted in a new Aston Villa contract for the talented young striker.
The 20-year-old looked to be on the verge of leaving the club this past summer, having added fuel to the fire with his off-the-pitch antics amid intense speculation linking him with a departure.
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That followed on from question marks being raised over his mentality and attitude after public comments from Unai Emery and John McGinn on his adaptation and character at times, while he continued to struggle on the pitch to make a positive and consistent impact when called upon.
His strike against Crystal Palace and his brace against Liverpool last season ensured that there was little doubt over his potential and talent, but concerns did linger over Duran’s ability to turn that into something more tangible by being a key figure in the Villa squad.
His start to this season has helped turned those concerns into excitement and optimism on a grander scale, and it’s also proven that Emery’s unwavering support of him and desire to get that from the Colombian international was worth it.
With six goals in 10 appearances across all competitions thus far, with five of those being decisive to the outcome of those particular games, Duran has been exceptional off the bench as he has shown an entirely different side of himself. Beyond the goals, his desire and work-rate has been much-improved, as he looks a better fit for our system and structure now under Emery which in turn puts him in a position to be the difference-maker.
After his winning goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Emiliano Martinez spoke about the different mentality that Duran has had and praised his work ethic, as it’s evidently something that is seen day-to-day at Bodymoor Heath too.
Morgan Rogers described him as a “different animal” when he’s on the pitch, while Emery hailed his attitude and commitment as well as his focus, which have all seemingly led to his transformation this year.
All that has led to the signing of a new Villa contract which potentially keeps him with us until 2030, as per the club’s statement, and so it’s starting to feel like the right fit for all concerned finally, and that this is the best way forward for both parties rather than entertaining exit talk again.
Naturally, the ongoing challenge for Duran is to maintain his current level and continue to develop and improve his game to give us a crucial attacking dynamic both domestically and in Europe, and in Emery he has the perfect coach to help him achieve his personal objectives, but also to guide his career forward as part of the collective.
While part of us may well miss the maverick element that he brought to the table in the first phase of his time with Villa, this improved, matured and ultimately more decisive version of Duran is the one what will lead to success for us, and it’s hoped that with his new contract agreed and signed, he’ll use that as further motivation and a foundational piece to continue to grow and evolve into a key figure in Villa’s history.
