Striker Jhon Duran has been heavily linked with a move away from Aston Villa, all summer long. He was reportedly very close to joining West Ham United, but the Irons have since cooled their interest, as they made a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Fullkrug instead.
This summer transfer window has also seen the 20-year-old Medellin, Colombia native has also been linked to Chelsea, and drawn interest from the Saudi Pro League as well.
However, it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere, according to Villa manager Unai Emery.
Having featured in the 2024 Copa America final for Colombia, Duran has since been on post tournament holiday, and thus he did not make the trip to the United States with the rest of his Aston Villa teammates.
Coincidentally, today saw Villa lose a friendly 1-0 vs Liga MX side Club America at Soldier Field in Chicago, home to the Chicago Fire FC, the very club that Villa acquired Duran from in January of 2023.
Obviously, Duran wasn’t there, but according to manager Unai Emery he’s joining up with the club very soon.
“He’s coming this week, after he played in the final for Colombia against Argentina,” Emery told the post match press conference, after being asked by The Sports Bank specifically about Jhon Duran ‘s status.
“He has good potential. I was always very close to him, tried to help him (with) adaptation to Europe and (the) Premier League.
“Now he’s coming this week, I will work him in this week, like last year.”
In other words, he’s staying put.
He’s not trading in his claret and blue, for another team’s claret and blue, after all. In yet another coincidence, West Ham and Aston Villa open the season against each other on August 17.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.