Jhon Duran to quit Aston Villa in summer transfer window due to ‘off-the-pitch’ issues
Dan Bardell sees Jhon Duran leaving Aston Villa in the summer transfer window and believes a versatile forward will be signed to replace him.
Thanks to their win over Arsenal on Sunday (14 April) and Tottenham’s loss at Newcastle 24 hours beforehand, the Villans have moved back into the driving seat for a top-four finish. And if this is achieved, Unai Emery will more than likely upgrade the quality of his squad in the summer.
However, sales could be necessary due to Financial Fair Play reasons and to create space for incomings.
As a result, Bardell believes Duran will be one of the players on the outgoing list this summer.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I don’t think Duran will be here next season, I think there’s too much off-the-pitch stuff and he’s frustrated with his game time. I think Villa would need an alternative to Watkins.“
With that being the case, the Villans would be in the market for a secondary striker option but Bardell suggested a different prospect.
He said: “You see more that multifunctional players are becoming increasingly important. We’ve got that with some of our players who have played different positions in our setup.
“I think they’re at a time when they’d spend on an attacking player who could perhaps lead the line on their own but can also play wide or maybe as a number 10.
“Look at Alvarez backing up Haaland at Man City. Villa needs someone of that ilk who can play multiple positions and be a backup to Watkins but also play with him in various roles.“
Should Aston Villa sign Joshua Zirkzee?
If Duran makes a move away from B6, a striker is certainly going to be needed. Villa could certainly do much worse than signing Zirkzee out of Serie A. It must be said that the price will certainly be a stumbling block.
Zirkzee, 22, has been linked by Il Resto del Carlino newspaper (10 April) as he sets his sights on his move away from Bologna, while Duran looks set to depart Villa Park.
They have also reported that Bayern Munich have a £34.17m clause in the Dutchman’s contract and may move to sign him themselves.
Zirkzee would certainly pose a point of difference for Aston Villa due to him being more of an old-school striker and target man. In a similar sense to Duran.
This has seen him score 10 goals and register three assists [FotMob] for Bologna in 30 Serie A appearances.
Under Thiago Motta’s coaching, the Dutchman’s passing statistics are off the charts which may suit Emery’s system. He makes 29.37 pass attempts with 76.90 per cent success rate per 90. He also completes 1.68 take-ons a game per 90 which is a great sign of his ability with the ball [Fbref].
Add to all this 1.08 tackles and 1.21 clearances a game, you have yourself a striker who presses from the front and is great with the ball at his feet.
He may fit in with the Villa system but he may be out of the realms of possibility for Villa to sign this summer. Especially as a backup option.
In other Aston Villa news, Ezri Konsa could be set to consider a £40million move to Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window
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