Jhon Duran has staked a major claim to start against Arsenal on Saturday; Unai Emery brought him on against West Ham and he scored the winner; 22-year-old striker had previously been linked with the Hammers, as well as Chelsea and AC Milan
Saturday 24 August 2024 21:52, UK
Colombian striker Jhon Duran is now giving Unai Emery the right kind of headache at Aston Villa following his impressive display against West Ham United last weekend.
It was a substitute performance that encapsulated all the positives from Duran's game. Strong hold-up play, electric pace in behind the defence and a constant goal threat.
The 20-year-old Villa forward has displayed these traits in flashes since joining the club in January 2023 - along with an overwhelming sense of unpredictability whenever he steps foot on the pitch.
For fans and anyone else associated with the club, Duran's potential has never been in question. He's a promising young talent who needs time to fine tune his craft. However, for the player himself, he's always seemed to be in a frantic rush to stake his claim in the first team.
One of the main reasons Duran has been limited to just nine starts across all competitions since securing his £14m move from MLS side Chicago Fire is the form of his counterpart, Ollie Watkins.
Playmaker of the Season, PFA Player of the Year nominee and England's semi-final hero at Euro 2024, Watkins - along with 19 goals last season in the top flight - is a tough act to follow.
Watkins' meteoric rise under Unai Emery has been a joy to watch for Villa fans - but has left little room for an understudy like Duran to break into the first team.
Despite it being the perfect problem for any manager to have, Duran must see it differently. The ambitious and eager to impress young forward likely views it as a major stumbling block in his development, so it comes as no surprise that his head began to turn when links to AC Milan, West Ham and Chelsea emerged during the transfer window.
With transfer talk intensifying and Duran's off-the-field antics on social media only stoking the fire regarding a potential exit, all signs pointed to a departure.
West Ham firmed up their interest in the player, but talks came to an abrupt halt after they failed to meet Villa's valuation of Duran. Sky Sports reported an offer of £32m - plus Hammers academy prospect Lewis Orford - was made by Julen Lopetegui's side, although it wasn't enough to tempt Villa into a sale.
"Sometimes it's difficult to accept some mistakes but in cases like that, very young player, very passionate," Emery said regarding Duran appearing to make a West Ham gesture on social media while being linked with a move to the London Stadium.
"He wants to show how he is. He has a strong energy and is wishing to do everything. Sometimes he has to get balance in everything. I'm committed to get the best out of him as a player and person.
"I want him here. Nothing has changed. I want to keep him here."
Taking into account the transfer back-and-forth between the two teams and the game reaching a stalemate just after the hour mark, it seemed inevitable that Duran would have some sort of role to play during their showdown at the London Stadium to kick-start the 2024/25 season.
Watkins, who hadn't featured in any of Villa's fixtures throughout pre-season, looked to be running out of steam, with his last outing arriving off the bench during England's Euro 2024 final loss to Spain, exactly a month prior to this fixture. Villa needed fresh legs and Emery turned to Duran.
His introduction to the game brought all the positives from his play with it. A physical presence that West Ham struggled to deal with, an immediate threat on goal and his team-mates also benefited from his hold-up play in the final third.
With his first chance of the evening, which was a clear demonstration of the pace he possesses, his effort crashed against the side netting, to the dismay of the travelling away fans - but that didn't deter him.
Moments later, a well-worked move involving Pau Torres, new signing Ian Maatsen and Jacob Ramsey led to the ball being cut back to Duran, donning his new No 9 shirt, and he made no mistake this time, slotting the ball between the legs of Alphonse Areola and into the back of the net.
This is not the first time Duran has had a clear impact off the bench for Villa. A quickfire double against Liverpool back in May virtually secured a Champions League spot for the club and he was consequently rewarded with a start against Crystal Palace in the next fixture thanks to his efforts.
This begs the question, has he done enough to earn the trust of Emery ahead of the Saturday Night Football clash against his former club Arsenal this weekend?
Watkins is clearly still building match fitness following his month off and Duran's lively match-winning performance has to be taken into consideration. The Colombia international recorded 25 touches in his 28-minute cameo against West Ham, which is almost double as many as Watkins in half of the time.
Whether or not he'll be given the green light for a start remains to be seen. However, to the delight of Villa fans and Emery himself, Duran is now in the mind of the Villa manager for all the right reasons.
Watch Aston Villa vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. You can stream the game on Sky with NOW.
