£113 million star now convinced Boehly could end up signing him for Chelsea.
A £113 million player believes Chelsea might sign him this summer, which would make a significant statement. Chelsea may end up signing two strikers for Maresca.
New manager Enzo Maresca, together with co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, are looking for new strikers. Chelsea is reportedly interested in signing Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, despite his lack of goals under Unai Emery last season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 20-year-old Duran prefers to join Chelsea above other clubs. However, Romano thinks the deal will only happen if Chelsea includes players in the agreement, with Villa making similar demands in talks to sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus.
| Jhon Duran’s best league games for Aston Villa last season | Match Rating (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool | 8.36 |
| Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace | 7.48 |
| Aston Villa 4-0 Everton | 7.38 |
| Man City 4-1 Aston Villa | 6.90 |
| Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley | 6.80 |
Duran’s future is still being discussed, but his modest haul may cause alarm for fans who want to see a prolific new number nine lead Maresca’s club next season.
Chelsea’s search for a striker may not finish with Duran, as reports suggest another forward might sign with him this summer.
According to Graeme Bailey on X and Chelsea writer Simon Phillips, Maresca may acquire two new strikers based on player sales. With this in mind, a move for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen may not be inconceivable.
Calcio Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, may face pressure to negotiate a lower sum as elite clubs are unwilling to pay his release clause of £113 million.
