Enxo Maresca has wasted little time in adding to Chelsea’s squad after taking over the club this summer, but the club has received a warning over one particular target
New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been given a heads-up about the fiery nature of transfer prospect Jhon Duran.
The Colombia international – who has made waves at Aston Villa since joining from Chicago Fire in January 2023 – is being targeted by the Blues this summer. But the dressing room at Stamford Bridge will have a feisty new character on its hands if he does follow Tosin Adarabioyo through the door.
Duran caught the eye with a stunning two-goal performance against Liverpool towards the end of last season. That display has put him on the radar of several top clubs, with Chelsea unlikely to be the only major outfit keeping tabs.
However, Villa’s own John McGinn previously joked the 20-year-old can be quite the challenge to keep under wraps. Following Duran’s delightful double against the Reds, Unai Emery‘s skipper said: “This place got us going when we got the second goal. It’s a brilliant effort. Big Jhon is a bit nuts at times. He’s a nightmare to play against, but he’s got moments of quality.”
Emery might not have to worry about the ‘issue’ much longer if Villa decide to offload the player, who is rumoured to be valued at around £45million. However, Chelsea can only offer a place in the Europa Conference League play-offs next term, while Villa are due a return to the Champions League arena.
The Blues have already kicked off their summer recruitment drive by signing Adarabioyo for free following his departure from Fulham. And a striker seems to be next on Maresca’s wish list after relying too heavily on Nicolas Jackson last season.
Despite McGinn’s cheeky assessment of his colleague, there’s no denying the midfielder would prefer to play alongside Duran rather than against him. Emery’s forward netted eight goals in 37 appearances for Villa last season, and only 10 of those were starts.
Conor Gallagher could play a crucial role in any transfer given Villa have already touched base with his agents as the England midfielder enters the final year of his contract. There’s a possibility the two clubs could agree on some sort of swap deal, even if Duran may bring a sprinkling of chaos to the Blues dressing room.
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