Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has reiterated that he believes in Jhon Duran’s potential, but didn’t entirely dismiss a possible exit this summer.
The 20-year-old arrived from Chicago Fire in January 2023, and after a difficult adaptation process in the second half of last season, he’s contributed eight goals in 36 appearances across all competitions this year.
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Duran has been an important option for Emery off the bench, as he offers us a different dynamic in the final third with his physicality, aerial threat and ability to offer more of a focal point to play around, and so it’s crucial we have that to give us tactical flexibility when trying to break sides down.
However, there has been a lot of talk around the Colombian international’s future after reported interest in January, and coupled with Villa’s expected need to sell this summer to help balance the books and adhere to FFP and PSR regulations, Duran could be seen as a potential sacrifice.
That said, Emery has reiterated his belief in the talented forward and insists that the process is ongoing and he is working hard with him to help him develop and improve his game, but he didn’t entirely shut the door on an exit this summer, as he knows factors could influence our need to sell.
“I believe in Jhon Duran,” Emery said, as per BirminghamLive. “When we signed him, his process is being how we can make a plan. He is 20 years old and he was 19 years old when he arrived here. He’s progressively getting better. He’s adapting. Even this year.
“He started with an injury. He started playing in August or September, he didn’t have a pre-season. He was getting better and now he is in his best moment now. His adaptation wasn’t easy. Last year or this year.
“Now I think he’s showing his capacity as well, particularly in the last match [Liverpool]. He’s here because we wanted him and we want to keep him as well. We are thinking he can improve us, stay here and grow up with us. But, of course, always we have to be ready in case there’s something we have to do in the transfer window with every player – even him – but at the moment, I’m happy with him.
“I speak to him a lot, individually and collectively about him, even with his agent because his agent helps with him as well. His potential is great, but he needs a plan and I am trying to do it.
“His numbers are more or less good, scoring some goals, some penalties as well through him we got. If we can analyse the minutes he played when he was competitive, I think he was helping us.”
The report above outlines the reasons why a sale could materialise for Duran, with West Ham Utd and Chelsea linked with an interest in him in January, while Emery told the media in his pre-Crystal Palace press conference on Friday that we need to be intelligent and clinical in the transfer market this summer amid those PSR concerns.
While Duran has shown he can be a key member of the squad and make an important contribution when called upon, if Villa do have to sell someone this summer, he would surely be one of the more likely candidates to go given how crucial so many other prized assets are for us.
Further, given John McGinn’s comments on him after our 3-3 draw with Liverpool last week, a game in which Duran scored a late brace to salvage a point for us, there seemingly are still question marks over his character and mentality.
“Big Jhon…he’s a bit nuts,” he told the media. “He’s a nightmare sometimes to have in your team. But he has moments of quality, we need to try and keep his feet on the ground the next couple of days.
“Jhon doesn’t have a scooby who they [Duran Duran] are. He does not have a clue. I mean Jhon I don’t even think he knows he’s actually in the city of Birmingham never mind who Duran Duran are. But, he’s such a raw player, some days you think what a good boy, some days you think come on big man have a bit more respect. But he has everything to be one of the top strikers in the world and hopefully he can do that here.”
That will be meticulously analysed and assessed by Emery and his staff though, and so while in an ideal world we’d keep our current group together and purely strengthen it this summer without losing anyone, time will tell if we’ll have to be sensible and balance our spending with departures.
