Tim Vickery says he could see Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran doing well for a club like Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea.
The South American football expert shared that Jhon Duran is ‘one of the big hopes of Colombian football’.
Aston Villa signed Jhon Duran last January from MLS side Chicago Fire for a transfer fee in the region of £18 million.
Tim Vickery spoke about how the all-action striker ‘hasn’t won the trust of Unai Emery’ and he thinks a possible loan deal to Chelsea could get him going, as he told Sky Sports News (16/01/24 at 12:25 pm).
But he did note that he can’t see Champions League-chasing Aston Villa letting him go to a club like Chelsea, and instead, if they want him to earn minutes, then it would be to another team in Europe.
Since Jhon Duran moved to the Midlands, he has scored four goals and supplied one assist from 35 games, as he plays a backup role to Ollie Watkins.
Jhon Duran at Chelsea
“There is a real player there, a real player,” said Vickery. “A strong, left-footed and mobile striker.
“He is one of the big hopes of Colombian football. He has had a year at Villa and it seems it hasn’t really won the trust of Unai Emery.
“From a number of perspectives, well, a loan deal to Chelsea. They are perhaps short in that department. With Mauricio Pochettino, sometimes the Colombians, need that kind of warm-hearted coach and arm around the shoulder, so you could see it working for Duran and it working for Chelsea.
“The big question here is. Would Villa want to help one of their rivals, for a Champions League spot, I know there is ten points between them, but Duran maybe could reduce that gap. Would Villa be so magnanimous as to release one of their bright young talents to a rival? If they do want to loan him out. I would imagine it would make more sense for him to go to another European league.”
Patience is needed with Jhon Duran
There is quality in Duran’s boots, there is no doubt about it, but raw talent!
He’s young, aggressive and has bags of potential. Patience is needed with the player and he is working under the right coach in Emery.
Plus, with Watkins taking the main limelight because he is the number one striker, this also allows Duran to build, make mistakes, learn from them and have his good moments.
Villa shouldn’t be letting him go anywhere, even on a loan deal, keep him at the club, let him progress and watch him explode in 18 months.
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