Chelsea identify Aston Villa star Jhon Duran as primary target after Benjamin Sesko signs a new deal with RB Leipzig.
The Blues, who were keen on signing Aston Villa’s Duran in January, have rekindled their interest in the striker after missing out on Sesko who recently extended his contract with RB Leipzig, according to The Telegraph.
The 20-year-old Colombian forward enjoyed a good run of form for Unai Emery’s side who finished fourth in the league in the 2023/24 season and secured a Champions League slot. The attacker appeared in 37 matches across all competitions where he scored eight times.
Jhon Duran
Enzo Maresca’s side will be back in action next month as they are set to conduct their pre-season in the US where they are scheduled to face Wrexham, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
The report further claims that the West London side have prepared a shortlist of at least three forwards for the upcoming summer window, however, Duran is reportedly their primary target as the club shares a good relationship with the Villans.
Professional career
Durán made his professional debut for Envigado on 13 February 2019 against Jaguares de Córdoba in the Copa Colombia, having played for the club at youth level since he was 11 years old. Durán scored his debut goal on 1 September, in his 3rd appearance for the club, against Águilas Doradas Rionegro. This made Durán the second-youngest goalscorer in Categoría Primera A, at the age of 15 years and 8 months.
On 11 January 2021, Chicago Fire announced an agreement to acquire Durán from Envigado on an initial 3-year deal, with options in place for a further 2 years. The contract would begin on 1 January 2022.
The transfer fee was reported to be £1.5m. The signing was sanctioned by Chicago Fire’s technical director Sebastian Pelzer, who spotted 17-year old Durán while watching another player at his former club.
Durán made his Chicago Fire debut on 26 February 2022 against Inter Miami CF. He scored his first goal for the club on 14 May 2022 against FC Cincinnati.
Jhon Duran
On 16 January 2023, Premier League club Aston Villa announced an agreement to sign Durán: subject to a medical, personal teams and a work visa.
Durán left the Colombian camp for the 2023 South American U-20 Championship to fly to England to complete the transfer, which was made official on 23 January. The transfer fee was reported to be an initial £14.75m, with the potential of a further £3m in add-ons.
