Jhon Duran’s future at Aston Villa is still up in the air, but in the end, Unai Emery will have the final say in the matter.
The Colombian international may go this month, according to rumors that surfaced earlier this week, and the Telegraph reported on “friction” between the two. As of right now, the leaving rumors don’t appear to be abating.
The Daily Mail claims that Villa is now open to offers for the 20-year-old. Naturally, a lot will depend on our capacity to sign a substitute to cover for Ollie Watkins and fill the vacuum.
Even though it’s still unknown at this point if Duran would be joining AC Milan on a straight loan for the remainder of the season or whether there would be a buyout option, reports of interest from the team are still coming in, and it appears that Duran is eager to transfer.
In addition, his social media activity has drawn attention, as is customary in modern football. It has been rumored that he has deleted Villa from his Instagram bio in recent days, continuing a trend that began this season and even led to Emery fielding questions from the media about it.
Duran has played 566 minutes of football in 21 appearances this season, scoring four goals and dishing out one assist.
His performance has an element of chaos, but he has been a valuable option off the bench because of his energy and ability to provide a new dynamic in the last third of games. At times, he has made a vital contribution.
With the stakes so high, Emery clearly doesn’t trust the young player enough to rely more heavily on him in crucial situations, which has led to Watkins’ limited role thus far this season. However, the difference between what Watkins offers us when leading the line and the influence Duran has is still enormous.
Duran hasn’t always performed up to par when beginning in Europe, and he has occasionally been replaced early. This may have added to his mounting annoyance.
In the end, he is a really talented player, and it’s not a terrible thing that he wants to play more. What we want from our depth selections is that need and hunger to be more involved.
However, it must be directed in a constructive manner that preserves the squad’s harmony and balance. If this is becoming a cause for concern at a time when we’re really starting to push ourselves and compete at the highest level, it must be handled.
Duran will either stay or be loaned out with the goal of returning a better player in the summer who is prepared to prove his value if Emery believes Duran is the appropriate player for the job and has faith in his long-term abilities.
If the Villa manager is worried about his demeanor and style and believes it’s not a good fit, we will definitely make a change this month and act in the team’s best interests while bringing in an Emery signing who will likely help us nonetheless.
If Emery thinks Duran is the right guy for the role and has faith in his long-term talents, he will either stay or be loaned out with the intention of bringing back a better player in the summer who is ready to establish his worth.
We will undoubtedly make a change this month and act in the team’s best interests while bringing in an Emery signing who will probably help us even if the Villa manager is concerned about his tone and approach and feels it’s not a good fit.
