Chelsea tracking Villa's Jhon Duran in search for new striker

Chelsea is interested in signing Jhon Duran from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa. The Blues are undeniably looking for reinforcements to help their attacking front line. Despite spending over $1 billion on new players since the summer of 2022, the west London club still needs help in the striker department.

After finishing a demoralizing 12th in the standings last season, Chelsea has not exactly fared better during the current campaign. The Blues currently sit ninth in the table at the moment. They were one of the weakest English top-flight clubs last season when it comes to scoring. They managed to score just 38 goals in as many league matches.

Chelsea must be aware of FFP laws before grabbing Jhon Duran

While Chelsea’s scoring has improved in the current campaign, they still lack real firepower going forward. Following the awful 2022/23 season, ownership spent significant money on attacking duo Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson. The two stars cost the club around $100 million combined.

Nevertheless, Nkunku has missed most of the 2023/24 season due to various injuries. Jackson, on the other hand, has not exactly impressed while leading the team’s line. The Senegal international does currently have seven league goals, but he has also missed 12 big chances in league play as well.

Center forward Armando Broja has also featured significantly for manager Mauricio Pochettino this season. However, the striker has only grabbed just one goal in 13 total top-flight appearances in the campaign. As a result, Chelsea could look to sell Broja to fund a deal for a new striker.

The move is also in line with the Blues being careful of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Chelsea is currently close to the spending limit and would need to free up some cash to spend this January. Despite his current struggles, Broja would garner interest from other Premier League sides.

Villa forward’s contract is set to soon expire

Assuming Chelsea can move Broja, they could very well target the aforementioned Duran. Sky Sports is claiming that the Blues are interested in signing the striker from Villa before the end of the current transfer window. Chelsea, however, has yet to offer the fellow English side an official bid for Duran.

The 20-year-old Colombian only just arrived in England last January. Villa splashed out an initial $18 million to sign Duran from the Chicago Fire. The Major League Soccer side could also grab an extra $4 million in add-ons as well.

Villa manager Unai Emery utilizes Duran from the bench. The striker has yet to earn a start under the coach during league play so far this season. He has, however, grabbed a place in the manager’s starting XI in other competitions with the club.

Despite currently being an understudy to star striker Ollie Watkins, Duran has impressed Emery during his short time with the club. The manager spoke about the youngster during a recent press conference leading up to an FA Cup matchup with Chelsea.

“Jhon Duran is now injured, but I am happy with him,” proclaimed Emery. “The last action against Everton he was injured. For the next weeks he is not going to be available.”

Despite Emery’s comments, Duran’s injury is not a serious issue. Yet, it is unclear how Villa would feel if Chelsea offered a significant fee for the striker. According to several reports, Duran is not under a lengthy contract at his current club.

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