Duran committed to Villa stay despite Chelsea talk

Jhon Duran is already being linked with a move away from Aston Villa. 

Signed a year ago, the Colombian's lack of playing time has attracted the attention of clubs needing a striker. 

Rumoured destinations include a move to Italy with AC Milan or a short journey south to stay in the Premier League at Chelsea. 

Ahead of Villa's FA Cup trip to the West Londoners next week, we take a look at Duran's situation. 

Limited opportunities

Duran signed from MLS club Chicago Fire in the 2023 January transfer window in a deal worth £17.75million. 

The 20-year-old made 12 appearances for his new side last season from the bench without finding the net. 

In the current campaign he has played 23 times, scoring four goals. 

Unai Emery has given the forward starts in cup competitions but he has yet to present him with one in the Premier League. 

That is largely down to the form and fitness of Ollie Watkins, who has been ever-present in their surprise title bid this season, scoring 14 goals across all competitions. 

Yet Duran has impressed in moments during the limited time he has had in the English top flight having opened his account with a well-taken goal against Everton. 

His second came when he unleashed a vicious volley against Crystal Palace in September. 

With his goal in the Europa Conference League also coming in the early stages of the season, Duran has not scored for Villa in several months. 

Duran focused

Despite his lack of recent goals, Duran has been persistently linked with major European clubs like Chelsea and Aston Villa. 

The Colombian could be excused if his head was turned, but he has instead publicly dismissed any talk of a move.

 Duran said: "I have my head in Aston Villa. I'm not really interested in those [links to other clubs], I mainly stay away from social media and focus on family. 

"I am not aware of interests in AC Milan or Chelsea. They are giant clubs, but I have no knowledge of anything. 

"The moment we are having and the team is very important. We are fighting for the Champions League positions. 

"We will continue to work to stay at the top of the table and we continue to focus on the goal of playing Champions League football." 

Emery verdict

Speaking earlier this month, Emery seemed equally committed to Duran staying at Aston Villa. 

The manager said: "He is playing and he is being important, he is young. We need experiences and he is here having experiences with us. 

"We need a second striker because we have to try to be strong in our squad with two players per position. It is Watkins and Jhon Duran. 

"I am working with him a lot, his commitment is progressively better." 

Considering his tender age, the competition at Villa and the big leap in quality from the MLS to the Premier League, there is nothing unremarkable about Duran's lack of game time. 

The expectations at Milan and Chelsea are not likely to be any lower and it is something of a surprise to see them linked with a striker who is still quite raw. 

Duran is in a good place for his development and it would seem as if he will at least finish the season at Aston Villa.