Aston Villa forward John Duran’s agent met with Barcelona sporting director Dec in December to lay the groundwork for a potential summer move moveaccording to a report in Spain.
Duran is already in fertile form Aston Villa this season despite starting the campaign almost exclusively as a substitute. The 21-year-old equaled his point total from last season (eight) before Halloween. After a minor drought, Duran found the net four times in December to a red card against Newcastle United stopped his return to form.
He was a Colombian representative rewarded for his fast start with a new deal with Villa that runs until 2030. That long-term deal should have fended off interest from rival clubs – Chelsea and West Ham United have been snooping around the forward – but Barcelona haven’t given up hope.
Deco met with a member of Duran’s representatives from the J7 Sports agency in December, according to the Spanish publication SPORT. An unofficial discussion confirmed that the young striker would be “excited” to play for Barcelona, although he is not necessarily the club’s first target.
Current number nine Robert Lewandowski is La Liga’s leading goalscorer this season but has scored just two league goals since October and will have 37 at the start of next season. Manchester City’s talisman Erling Haaland, in demand Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig they are all praised as attacking alternatives for the Catalans.
After the extension, Villa are expected to demand a fee of between £50m and £60m for Duran, who was available for as little as £40m last summer. Barcelona has been plagued by financial uncertainty in recent years risk losing Dani Olmo and Pau Victor on free transfers after failing to register the pair for the second half of the campaign.
However, Barcelona will become more competitive in the transfer market after reaching the “1:1” rule – which allows the club to spend every euro it earns, after years of limited spending.
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