Chelsea eyeing Premier League ace in 'best moment' shows change of transfer tact

Chelsea’s reported interest in an exciting striker from one of their Premier League rivals suggests that Todd Boehly may be about to change his transfer strategy. The Blues have spent more than any other English club over the last few years but have struggled to make a great deal of progress on the pitch.

Chelsea have splashed most of their cash on unproven young players from abroad, with the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk joining for huge transfer fees. However, they are now reported to be targeting a solid Premier League player who has already shown that he can score goals in England’s top flight.

The Blues are weighing up a potential summer move for Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran, according to The Mirror. The 20-year-old has scored five league goals for Villa this season, with two of them coming in last week’s draw with Liverpool to help his side secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea were linked with Duran in January but failed to tempt Villa into selling him in the middle of the season. The report states that a move could be resurrected over the coming weeks, with Chelsea said to be convinced that Duran is more than capable of excelling at Stamford Bridge.

Boehly is thought to be keen on improving Chelsea’s strength in depth in the attacking positions, with Armando Broja having been tipped to leave in the summer. The Albanian marksman has been linked with a handful of clubs including the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Wolves and newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea will succeed in their pursuit of Duran, who joined Villa from MLS outfit Chicago Fire last January. Unai Emery has already suggested that he is eager to keep the forward in the belief that he will begin to show his full potential from next season onwards.

Speaking after Duran’s impressive brace against Liverpool last week, Emery said: “I believe in Jhon Duran. When we signed him, he was 19 years old. This season, he started with an injury. He started playing in August or September, he didn’t even have a pre-season.

“He’s getting better. Now is his best moment with us but his adaptation has not been easy and I think he is showing the capacity for us, particularly in the last match. He’s here because we wanted him and we want to keep him as well. We think he can improve us, so we want him to stay here and work with us.”