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Jhon Duran lack of minutes under Unai Emery 'understandable' and part of plan for Aston Villa - Ty Bracey
We’re delighted to welcome Aston Villa podcaster Ty Bracey as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Ty Bracey believes Jhon Duran’s lack of game time at Aston Villa is understandable and the forward will play a more important role in seasons to come.
Since signing for Villa in the January transfer window from Chicago Fire in an £18million deal, the Colombian teenager has amassed just 76 minutes of Premier League action across eight appearances.
In his brief cameos, the striker has looked a bright prospect, coming inches away from opening his goalscoring account when striking the bar against Manchester City and showing a glimpse of his pace and power in his substitute appearance against Arsenal.
Unai Emery is yet to start Duran from the first whistle as an Aston Villa player, mainly due to Ollie Watkins’ staggering goalscoring form, which has seen the Englishman score 11 goals from his last 12 Premier League outings.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Aston Villa podcaster Bracey admitted that Duran’s lack of minutes is expected considering the team’s stellar Premier League form and that it was always going to be hard to hit the ground running in a foreign league at such a young age.
He said: “It’s understandable the lack of game time he has been getting and the lack of starts he has been getting because who does he come in for right now and replace?
“He is doing well as a fringe player right now and I don’t think there were any plans for him to play much more when Villa signed him in the January transfer window.
“He has looked bright when called upon from the bench and although he hasn’t found his goalscoring form yet, it was always going to take some time to adapt to the Premier League.
“I think this was always the plan for Duran under Emery this year, and then maybe next season and further into the future he will become a first-team regular.”
With Watkins expected to put pen to paper and sign a new contract at B6, and academy loanee Cameron Archer chomping at the bit for a chance to shine on the first-team stage, Duran isn’t short of competitors for a starting berth. [90min, 19 April]
Considering the lack of minutes awarded to the Colombian since his arrival at Villa Park, it seems like the club are happy to play the long game with Duran and place no pressure upon his shoulders.
In other Aston Villa news, the club might have found the heir to James Milner after what Unai Emery did against Newcastle.