Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has now been warned of what he must improve if he is to have a future in Unai Emery’s side.
Emery and Monchi will be braced for a busy summer at Aston Villa as the Midlands club aims to prepare the squad for the Champions League.
After confirming a fourth-place finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season, Villa returned to the big time in Europe, with the manager now needing a squad with the calibre to contend with Europe’s elite.
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The manager will be eager to retain all of the stars that assisted him in returning Villa to the Champions League however, one player’s long-term future could be in doubt if he does not improve one key area of his game.
There are question marks over Jhon Duran’s suitability to Emery’s squad, with journalist John Townley now detailing what the 20-year-old must do to really progress at Villa.
Jhon Duran told what he must do to make it at Aston Villa
Assessing Villa’s assets ahead of the summer transfer window on the Claret and Blue podcast, Townley expressed what he believes Duran has to improve if he is to remain in Emery’s squad.
“Duran is really interesting, he has every attribute to become a top striker but, he needs to learn and needs to learn quickly.”
The Colombia international has had his fair share of drama since arriving at Villa Park for £18m, most notably his social media interactions when transfer links were formed in January.
Still only 20 years old, Duran must look to improve his game both on and off the pitch, with Townley calling on the former MLS star to ‘mature’.
“He needs to mature, Emery has said that he is maturing.
“Duran needs to realise what an opportunity he has at Villa and just knuckle down and continue to work and not complain or moan or want something that isn’t there, he’s not going to be playing over Ollie Watkins next season.”
Jhon Duran has what it takes to make it at Aston Villa
While Duran is undoubtedly a searing talent in Emery’s squad, the youngster has a reckless edge about him that could shorten his Villa career if his maturity off the pitch does not improve.
In January, the forward was linked with a move to Chelsea, which then spurred him to delete all of his photos on Instagram associated with Aston Villa, as well as more recently liking a series of tweets about Chelsea.
The striker was also seen to be spotted and embraced by former Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino in Villa’s recent draw with the West Londoners.
Emery is in a fortunate position by having Duran at the club as the forward is the perfect back-up to Ollie Watkins, showing his reliability in front of goal with a scoring frequency of 101 minutes in the Premier League, securing only three starts.
Patience and focus are the factors that one would assume the £18m acquisition must bolster, with his talent unquestionable but his actions away from play causing alarm bells to ring.
It would be a great shame for Villa to lose a talent as impressive as the Colombian however, as echoed by Townley, the forward must understand the opportunity he has in front of him if he is to truly progress.
The post 'He needs to': Journalist warns 20-year-old ace what he must 'quickly' do to make it at Aston Villa appeared first on Aston Villa News.