Chelsea’s talks with Jhon Duran are not expected to impact a possible move for Conor Gallagher the other way, football.london understands. The Blues have been in contact with the representatives of Duran over a deal this summer as they look to add more firepower to their squad.
Duran was a player that they looked at in January on a short-term deal despite only signing for Villa 12 months earlier. They have now returned to the Midlands to try add depth to their centre-forward options.
With Armando Broja expected to leave and Christopher Nkunku deemed more of a left-wing/No.10 than a nominal striker, Chelsea are placing a lot of pressure on Nicolas Jackson to carry the load once more. They have already looked at No.9s including Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney, and Benjamin Sesko, but attention has now turned to Duran.
The Columbian had a limited role for Villa last season under Unai Emery in his first full campaign at the club, playing just 500 minutes in the league. He still managed five goals though – including two from the bench against Liverpool late on – despite only starting three games and missing almost 10 weeks through injury at the start of 2024.
Talks with Villa over a move now come at a time where discussions are already ongoing between the two teams. Villa, along with Tottenham, are keen to sign Gallagher this summer.
The 24-year-old is out of contract in just 12 months and is yet to sign an extension, opening Chelsea up to the potential of losing him for free if nothing further is agreed. Selling Gallagher would also make a big impact on the club’s financial position as they look to remain compliant with Premier League regulations.
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Although Chelsea are adamant that they do not need wholesale exits before the June 30 profitability and sustainability cut-off for 2023/24, forecasts suggest that they will need to sell in order to be within the boundaries for coming years. Gallagher’s personal stance remains to stay at Stamford Bridge though, football.london understands.
The England international and stand-in captain for his boyhood club throughout much of last season under Mauricio Pochettino, comes from a family of Chelsea fans and is willing to fight for his place under Enzo Maresca much like he was last year regardless of added competition for his place in the side from Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Whilst Chelsea are open to talks with Villa – who they did business with in 2022 for the transfer of Carney Chukwuemeka – it is not thought that a direct swap deal with Duran will be completed. Not only are swaps rare and complex, but Gallagher is focused on his role with England at Euro 2024.
It still leaves Chelsea with plenty of work to do if both deals are to get across the line, whilst the possibility of Gallagher remaining is also still there. Either way, more than one set of discussions will be needed.