Aston Villa have given Chelsea permission to discuss personal terms with Jhon Duran, though a report has revealed the two concerns which have put the transfer in doubt.
In a surprise twist, Chelsea have set their sights on Duran to help ease their striker problems. The 20-year-old has only scored eight goals in 49 appearances since joining Aston Villa for £18million in January 2023, but despite his relative lack of experience, Chelsea believe he is the right man to lead their forward line from next season onwards.
Due to Villa’s interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, there was initially talk of a potential swap deal or player-plus-cash deal between the two sides.
But Chelsea have instead entered straight negotiations for Duran. Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Todd Boehly’s side are closing in on a £40million deal.
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As per journalist Matt Law, Villa have given Chelsea the green light to enter contract talks with the centre-forward, which suggests the deal is close to completion.
It should not take Duran and Chelsea long to agree personal terms, as TEAMtalk understands that the two parties have already had positive talks about his prospective contract.
But fellow reporter Jacob Steinberg has cast some doubt over Duran’s move to Stamford Bridge. It is claimed that Boehly and Chelsea have ‘hesitated’ due to two issues emerging.
The first is that some Villa officials have expressed concern about the attacker’s attitude, and Chelsea have now found out about this.
Chelsea transfers: Jhon Duran wage demands cause problem
Secondly, Duran wants a very big salary, and Chelsea are eager not to break their financial structure as they have worked hard to bring the wage bill down.
These concerns mean that if another, more suitable striker suddenly becomes available, Chelsea could swiftly turn their attention to that player.
At this stage though, Steinberg adds that Chelsea look set to press ahead and take a risk by snaring Duran.
Villa viewed Duran as a long-term project, due to his tender age, but his sale is very timely. Unai Emery needs a couple of players to be sold so he can improve his squad with some top signings, as a result of profit and sustainability issues.
It emerged on Friday that Villa could replace Duran with former Chelsea star Tammy Abraham, who is hoping to return to the Premier League from Roma ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have also been linked with Abraham, but Villa have been named as frontrunners in the chase for the 26-year-old.
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