Chelsea make contact with agent of £85m-rated Premier League star ahead of potential transfer: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly made contact with the agent of Aston Villa's Jhon Duran over a potential transfer in the ongoing window. According to the Daily Mail (via Caught Offside), Chelsea are keen on bagging Duran to boost their attacking options, but Villa have slapped a £85 million price tag on him.

The Colombian recently extended his stay in the Midlands, and his current contract comes to an end in the summer of 2030. He is also highly rated by manager Unai Emery, but Villa will be tempted to sell if they get the right price. Duran has been in fine fettle this season, netting 12 times across all competitions.

Chelsea have been served poorly by Nicolas Jackson up front, who has scored just nine goals across all competitions this season. Christopher Nkunku, meanwhile, seems not to have manager Enzo Maresca's backing while Marc Guiu is too young to be a regular starter in the Premier League.

This goes to show that Chelsea are desperate to land a striker in the ongoing window, but Duran's reported high price tag will send shockwaves to them. This price tag shows that Villa are not keen on selling Duran, but they do not intend to stand in the way if a buyer comes and decides to splurge on the Colombian.

---

Jhon Duran will provide support to Cole Palmer at Chelsea

Although Duran has been mostly used as a backup to regular striker Ollie Watkins, he has shown how impressive he can be both with and without the ball. Maresca is also bound to be impressed by the work rate the 21-year-old displays and the way he keeps pressing when his team does not have the ball with them.

Duran, if he comes to Stamford Bridge, will be used as a support to Cole Palmer, who has been Chelsea's primary goalscorer this season. The England international has found the back of the net on 22 occasions in the Premier League and twice in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.

Duran's arrival will take some of the goalscoring load off his shoulders, but it remains to be seen if Chelsea's management decides to take the plunge. This comes on the back of a Yahoo report which stated that the Blues are also readying a formal bid for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

While signing Garnacho may not make sense owing to the presence of several top wingers such as Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, and Pedro Neto, Dhuran will fit in with the Blues owing to his being a striker. His goalscoring potential and positioning abilities hold him in good stead.