Just in: Jhon Duran plots his departure from Aston Villa following Chelsea’s transfer developments…
Don Goodman does not expect Chelsea to move for Aston Villa forward Duran in the summer transfer window.
Duran was linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge in January and once again last month after liking a series of Chelsea-related posts on X [Daily Mail, 16 May].
The Colombia international has been restricted to just 37 appearances for Villa since joining in January 2023 for an initial [BBC Sport].
While Duran has often made an impact when given a chance, Goodman does not believe he ticks the right boxes in terms of what Chelsea need.
In terms of whether he’s good enough to get into Chelsea’s team, well he hasn’t been good enough to get into Aston Villa’s team this year,” he told Villa News.
You can argue that Chelsea finished two places below Villa, but Chelsea will be after an established number nine this summer; a player who has a proven track record.
However good you think Duran is, he hasn’t got that track record.
As for liking the social media posts, players use it to their advantage.
They will use it to promote themselves, make themselves popular, to angle for a move it’s just part and parcel of the world we live in now.
If it’s not the players themselves, it’ll be their agents or representatives.
Duran has played second fiddle to Ollie Watkins and he must be rather frustrated not to have started more often in the Premier League.
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The Colombian was used from the off in just three top-flight matches last season, with his other 20 appearances coming as a substitute.
Yet a return of five goals, including a brace in the 3-3 draw with Liverpool, shows what he is capable of when he is given a chance to impress.
Indeed, that return of 0.94 goals per 90 minutes is the best return of any Villa player albeit helped by his relative lack of minutes.
Ollie Watkins was Unai Emery’s go-to man up top for Aston Villa last season
Even if Chelsea are interested, Villa will surely have no interest in selling Duran this summer as they will not land a better back-up option.
Let’s just hope the player himself is okay to remain patient and continue making an impact when he is called upon.
In other Aston Villa news, Goodman does not expect another exit-linked Villa figure to be going anywhere this summer.
