Jhon Duran: Ex-Aston Villa scout shares big reveal ‘from people at the club’
Aston Villa will demand a fee upwards of £50million if they are to sell Jhon Duran in the near future, according to the club’s former senior scout.
Mick Brown, who also worked as a scout for West Ham, Tottenham and Man United among other top clubs, left Villa Park in 2021 and has exclusively told Football Insider that there are concerns at the club that Duran can be a “difficult character”.
This led to the suggestion that Villa could be willing to cash in if they receive an acceptable offer for his services in the January transfer window.
The 20-year-old striker made no secret of his desire to secure a move away from the Midlands in the summer, having been linked heavily with a move to West Ham or Chelsea.
However, after reports claimed a bid of £43million plus a percentage of any future sale from the Hammers was rejected, he remained a part of Emery’s Villa squad.
So far this season, he has scored five goals in eight appearances across all competitions despite starting just one game and is attracting renewed interest from elsewhere.
It is said that Villa could still be tempted to sell Duran despite his flying start to the season, but it would have to be for a price that suits them, despite his alleged behind-the-scenes issues.
Aston Villa stance on Jhon Duran sale revealed after Unai Emery claim
Football Insider revealed on 1 October that Duran has now earned back Emery’s trust with his early-season performances and could remain a key part of his squad.
Brown, who worked closely with Sir Alex Ferguson as his number two at Man United, has also insisted that Emery will need to work closely with the player to ensure he is happy playing a squad role if they decide to keep him at Villa Park.
“I’ve heard from people at Villa that he’s a bit of a difficult character,” he told Football Insider.
“Now, how difficult and what that will mean for him, I don’t know, but that sort of issue is one where managers usually think ‘No, we can’t have this.’
“So if they can, they might choose to get rid of him, but only for the right price.
“Villa will have to decide what he’s worth to them and the impact he has on their team.
“When a bid is made for £45million, everybody wants £50million. If he does leave, I’d expect the fee to probably be higher than that.
“We’ll see where it goes. He looks like a useful player and you’ve got to have players like that in your squad behind someone like Ollie Watkins.
“But will he be prepared to stay in the squad when he can go somewhere else and play?
“That will depend on Unai Emery’s management. Nobody did that better than Alex Ferguson.“
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