Incoming Aston Villa signing Jhon Duran has given his first interview since the club confirmed an agreement had been reached over a transfer.
As per the club’s statement, the 19-year-old Colombian striker is set to join us from Chicago Fire, subject to passing a medical, agreeing personal terms and work visa requirements being satisfied.
READ MORE: Who is Jhon Duran? Analysis of incoming Villa signing
ESPN have reported that the deal is worth an initial $18m [£14.75m] with performance-related bonuses on top, and so Villa have shown real faith in the youngster by making such a big investment this early in his career.
He comes with big potential and promise off the back of scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 27 MLS appearances for Chicago, but naturally it’s a big step up to the Premier League and so it will be fascinating to see his progression under Unai Emery and his coaching staff to see if he will be a hit for us.
Unsurprisingly, he’s excited about the next chapter in his career, as he spoke from Colombia on Tuesday as he’s preparing to play in the 2023 South American U20 Championship.
“I’m very happy for this next step, to come to the best, most competitive league in the world,” he said, as per the video below. “[Villa] is a very important club, with big names and I’m very happy to join the club.”
ESPN reporter Luis Miguel Echegaray adds in a second tweet that Duran was also asked about playing alongside the likes of Emiliano Martinez and being another Colombian to move to the Premier League, to which he replied that he’s focused on learning and continuing to learn from the best.
It sounds as though he has a positive, humble mindset, and coupled with his physical attributes and potential on the pitch, it’s hoped Villa have signed a future star who can be a big player for us in the coming years.
With his power, pace, technical quality and aerial threat, he has the characteristics to be a real attacking asset for Emery moving forward, and while we’ll keep our eye on him during the U20 Championships, there is real excitement already about seeing him at Bodymoor Heath so he can get to work and start to be integrated into the squad.
Here’s soft-spoken Jhon Jáder Durán on joining #AVFC 🟣🔵: “I’m very happy for this next step, to come to the best, most competitive league in the world. [Villa] is a very important club, with big names and I’m very happy to join the club…”pic.twitter.com/3CaymMzCzb
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) January 16, 2023
