Jhon Duran agent slammed as forward tries to quit Aston Villa
Don Goodman has slammed the agent of Jhon Duran for giving the forward “poor advice” as he angles for a move away from Aston Villa.
Duran has been linked with Chelsea and West Ham United among others this summer, with a move to the latter looking likely at one stage.
The Colombian was spotted on an Instagram livestream showing a ‘Hammers’ gesture last month when asked by a supporter about his future.
That clearly did not go down well with the Villa fanbase, but Goodman has questioned if his agent could be to blame.
“It’s clear he wants to get away from Villa Park, and that will never sit well with supporters,” Goodman told exclusively told Villa News. “He’s put himself under enormous pressure now. He’s better off saying nothing than doing that sign indicating he wants to go to West Ham.
“It was very naive and ill-advised. We talk about him so often – when’s he leaving, where’s he going? – but he’s still got an awful lot to prove. The fact he’s still there is an indicator that, while clubs want him and see the potential in him, they’re maybe not completely convinced and therefore not going above and beyond to get him from Villa.
“At this moment in time, he is just potential. While potential can cost a lot of money, if you’re a Premier League club and looking to buy a first-team-ready player, you’re taking a real gamble if you go down the Jhon Duran road.
“It just brings that added pressure now when he gets on the pitch. I’ve no doubts he will leave everything out there when used by Villa, but I just think he’s been a little bit naive in trying to angle for this month publicly. He could easily have gone about this privately and away from the cameras. That is probably down to poor advice from his agent.”
Jhon Duran looks set to stay at Aston Villa
West Ham were clearly eager to sign Duran, but Fabrizio Romano reported on 25 July that the two clubs had been unable to agree on a transfer fee and deal structure.
Since then, the situation has gone rather quiet. West Ham instead turned to Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Fullkrug, while Chelsea’s interest has seemingly cooled despite their latest spending spree.
It means that, unless a new club comes in for Duran, he will remain a Villa player for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
As annoying as it was to see him angle for a Villa Park exit with his social media antics, Duran is clearly a big asset for the Villans.
With Champions League fixtures to factor in on top of the weekly grind of the Premier League, plus the two domestic cups, Duran will get minutes this season.
Ousting Ollie Watkins is simply not possible, but Unai Emery will no doubt have a plan to get the most out of a clearly talented player.
In other Aston Villa news, the club have been told that they have the funds available to see off competition for a European gem.
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