Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is being linked with a £60m move away from Villa Park after two European giants reportedly registered their interest.
Duran, 21, has enjoyed an exciting campaign so far under Unai Emery, netting 12 times in all competitions. He had earned the ‘super sub’ tag earlier in the season after netting winners against Everton and West Ham United, as well as an important goal against Leicester City off the bench.
He has managed to score regularly and boasts the best goal-to-minute ratio in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and across all competitions, scoring a goal every 81 minutes.
Perhaps that is why two of Europe’s biggest clubs are eyeing up a move for him. According to talkSPORT, Paris Saint-Germain are interested in a move and it is said that £60m would be enough for Villa to part ways with the Colombian.
The French champions just triumphed in the French Super Cup, beating Monaco and they currently lead the race for the title in Ligue 1 by seven points. However, they are at risk of heading out of the Champions League before the knockout stages begin as they currently sit outside the top 24 places.
They face Manchester City at home before travelling to Stuttgart away and it would be a disaster if a club of their stature failed to qualify. Such a position could see them look to strengthen given their lack of a clinical striker after Kylian Mbappe’s exit in the summer window.
Another team interested, who are experiencing contrasting fortunes this season, are Barcelona. They sit top of La Liga and second in the Champions League table and are Europe’s top scorers overall.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Barca’s sporting director Deco met with his representatives in December and have reiterated their interest in recent times. While their financial situation cannot be understated, they confirmed both their own and Duran’s interest, opening the door for a potential future move.
The Catalan club currently have one of Europe’s top scorers Robert Lewandowski. However, the Poland international will turn 37 before the start of next season and they currently do not possess a back-up option for the iconic forward.
Given that Duran has five years left on his current deal, they could be entitled to ask for a higher fee especially if he continues to score at the same rate. With Villa already heading into the Champions League knockouts, Duran will continue to get the chance on the big stage which could see his stock rise.
He does, however, sit behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order at Villa and has taken on a backup striker role, starting just four times in the league so far.
We could see another attacker arrive in the form of Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malan who has reportedly agreed personal terms. While he features more on the wing, his arrival will only help bolster their frontline. At the same time, young attacker Jaden Philogene could leave for Everton after just half a season at the club.
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