Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran as the Blues look to add a new forward to their ranks during the summer transfer window.
The West London club were dealt a blow in their search for a new striker on Tuesday as it is being reported that one of their top targets Benjamin Sesko has decided to sign a new contract at RB Leipzig.
The Slovenia international was also being pursued by Arsenal as the 21-year-old had a stellar end to his season in the Bundesliga, scoring in all of Leipzig’s last seven matches.
Sesko believes that staying in Germany is the best option for his career and has pushed a big move further down the line.
This has left Arsenal and Chelsea to look elsewhere and fans of the Blues will be a little underwhelmed as it is being reported by The Telegraph that the West London club have stepped up their interest in Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.
Chelsea make move for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran
Duran has been at Aston Villa since January 2023 but has failed to earn a spot in the Premier League club’s starting 11 and has spent this season supporting Ollie Watkins. The 20-year-old scored eight goals across 37 matches but only received 1097 minutes of action.
The Colombian star will want more game time next season, but will he be a starter at Chelsea should he make the move to Stamford Bridge?
If the London outfit are signing Duran to lead their line next season then that will have fans of the club worried as the youngster is not ready for that responsibility. The forward has been a long-term target for the Blues as they considered a move for the player in January.
This also plays into the hands of Villa as the Birmingham club can use the striker as part of a deal for Conor Gallagher as Unai Emery wants the Englishman in his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.