Aston Villa hold concrete interest in “world-class” £50m Duran replacement

Aston Villa now hold concrete interest in signing a “world-class” striker to replace Jhon Duran this summer, with a deal possible for a fee of around £50m, but there could be competition from Arsenal, according to a report.

Aston Villa pursuing striker to replace Duran

Duran moved to Al-Nassr for £65m in the latter stages of the January transfer window, and the 21-year-old has made a solid start to life in Saudi Arabia, scoring four goals in as many league games.

While the big-money move will ease some of Villa’s PSR concerns, the striker’s departure leaves Unai Emery a little light on options in attack, and potential replacements are now being assessed ahead of the summer transfer window.

Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui is one of the options, with the Italian in prolific form in the Serie A this season, while the Villans are also believed to be stepping up their pursuit of FC Porto’s Samu Omorodion Aghehowa, who is outscoring Ollie Watkins.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa also hold concrete interest in signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who is now looking increasingly likely to leave the Italian club at the end of the season.

Talks over a new deal are not progressing, which means Vlahovic could seek a move elsewhere, and there is unlikely to be a lack of suitors, with Arsenal also keen, given that manager Mikel Arteta holds him in particularly high regard.

The Villans are also seriously considering an approach for the striker, who would be brought in as a replacement for Duran, although they are yet to lodge any formal enquiries.

Should the Premier League

side ultimately decide to make a bid for the Juventus man, there is a feeling £50m would be enough to get a deal done.

“World-class” Vlahovic could be ideal Duran replacement

Although Watkins always remained the first-choice option, the departure of Duran was a big loss, given the impact the Colombian made from the bench, but there are plenty of signs Vlahovic could be a suitable replacement.

Given his age, the 25-year-old has more experience at the top level than Duran, scoring six goals in 16 Champions League appearances, while he also has a very respectable record of 86 goals and 14 assists in 193 Serie A outings, including nine this term.

Serie A journalist Siavoush Fallahi has lauded the former Fiorentina man as “world-class” in the past, and his goal record indicates he could be more than capable of pushing for Watkins’ starting spot.

That said, there are signs the aforementioned Retegui could be an even better signing, given that the two strikers are the same age, and the Atalanta marksman has outscored Vlahovic considerably this season, bagging 21 Serie A goals.