Jhon Durán, the in-form Aston Villa striker, has committed his future to the club by signing a new deal that will keep him at Villa Park until 2030. The Colombian forward scored a memorable winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week, continuing his impressive scoring streak, primarily from the bench. Villa have acted swiftly to secure a player whose value has skyrocketed.
Durán was heavily linked with a move away during the summer, with West Ham showing the most interest. He even sparked speculation by posting a social media photo with a crossed-arms gesture, only for the move to fall through. Chelsea was another club reportedly interested in his services. Interestingly, Durán scored the winner against West Ham from the bench on the opening weekend of the season. Since then, he has scored four goals as a substitute, with Unai Emery preferring Ollie Watkins as the starting striker. His only start, against Wycombe in the Carabao Cup, also resulted in a goal.
After his Bayern goal, an opportunistic strike that left goalkeeper Manuel Neuer helpless, Emery commented: “He arrived here two years ago and he is young, his potential is enormous. Sometimes he has been impatient and I need to speak to him as a person and connect to him as a person. As well as a player to try to let him play, putting him on the field because his talent is there and the capacity to help us. This is the talent that some players have and when Jhon Durán has the ball he is scoring quickly.”
Durán joined Villa in January 2023 from MLS side Chicago Fire for £18m and scored five goals in 23 Premier League appearances last season. Initially seen as surplus to requirements, Emery and sporting director Monchi decided to retain Durán as a forward option after West Ham withdrew their interest. Durán was again a substitute in Sunday’s draw with Manchester United, coming on in the 63rd minute, but like the rest of the team, he was unable to break the deadlock. United were previously linked with a move for him when he was at Chicago, but financial constraints prevented any deal.
