Patrick Vieira has encouraged his former club Arsenal to raid Aston Villa for forward Jhon Duran.
The Gunners were linked with several strikers in the summer transfer window, including Dusan Vlahovic, Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, but Mikel Arteta decided to stick with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Havertz has led the attack well, scoring four goals in nine Premier League appearances, but Jesus has failed to make much of an impact owing to his fitness issues and form.
For Arsenal to go one step further and win the Premier League title, they desperately need to invest in a prolific goalscorer who will not only enhance the first XI but also regularly challenge the likes of Havertz and Jesus. Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran is the latest name to emerge as a target for the north London giants, and Patrick Vieira believes ‘he’s the right player for Arsenal’.
“I loved his performance against Bayern Munich,” Vieira was quoted by the Metro.
“He’s the right player for Arsenal – quick, unselfish, solid in the air, technically skilled, and intelligent in his movement.”
Jhon Duran’s stock keeps on rising
Duran is enjoying a brilliant season at Aston Villa. The 20-year-old has scored eight goals in 14 appearances in all competitions but only three of those have come from starts as he fights for a place in the starting XI. The Colombian’s goal-to-minute ratio and impact despite playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins has been fantastic.
The left-footed forward has also impressed in the Champions League, most notably against Bayern Munich where he came off the bench to score the only goal in the game. Duran nonchalantly lobbed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 78th minute to send the Villa Park faithful into delirium.
Strong, quick and powerful with good technical skills, the Colombian international would be a fantastic fit in Arteta’s system at the Emirates Stadium. His value is rising every week with consistent sizzling performances, so Arsenal will have to pay a premium to sign the youngster from Villa. If his form continues to grow, the Villans could ask closer to £75m for Duran’s signature.
That said, the Gunners have to keep close tabs on Duran and if a deal is financially viable to crack, they must not hesitate to bring the powerful South American to north London.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
