Chelsea have a ‘strong interest’ in an £18m Premier League striker likened to Benjamin Sesko, according to a recent report.
The West Londoners have appointed Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor and work will now be commencing behind the scenes to assemble a squad that aligns with his style of play.
The Italian head coach is expected to implement a possession-based brand of football and will need new profiles in the market.
Maresca will also be eager to add another striker to his ranks and one Premier League forward has just been linked.
Chelsea have a ‘strong interest’ in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
According to The Athletic, Chelsea retain a ‘strong interest’ in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
The £18m forward was of interest to the West Londoners in January and he remains a target this summer following Maresca’s arrival.
Duran, who only celebrated his 20th birthday in December, has hardly had a look in since joining Villa in Janaury 2023 despite showing great promise in cameo appearances.
The Columbia international netted eight times in just 10 starts last night, evincing that he’ll score goals if he’s given a chance.
Since Todd Boehly’s takeover, Chelsea have placed great emphasis on bringing in young talent and Duran seems to be the latest target in that recruitment strategy.
Jhon Duran statistics
FBref data suggests Duran is of a similar profile to Benjamin Sesko, who is a target of Chelsea among other clubs around the Premier League.
The left-footed striker has impressive underlying statistics as he ranks in the top one per cent for non-penalty goals compared to his positional peers across Europe.
Further, he sits in the top seven per cent for blocks, evidencing his tremendous defensive work rate.
If Chelsea are to land his signature this summer, particularly for around £15m, it’d be a really shrewd aquisiiton.