Few players are attracting as much attention as Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.
The Colombian is being linked with a whole host of clubs, both domestically and abroad. Reportedly the subject of a £57million bid from West Ham United last week, he is now being heavily linked with Chelsea.
Signed from Chicago Fire in January 2023, Duran has gone from strength-to-strength at Villa. He has scored 12 goals in 29 games across all competitions this season.
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Also linked with Arsenal recently, it has been suggested Villa could demand around £80m to sell the 21-year-old. He is widely considered as their most sellable asset.
Should a big-money deal for Duran go through, Manchester United may be left feeling somewhat deflated. The Reds were credited with interest in Duran as far back as October 2022.
At that juncture, the striker was a tender 18-year-old making waves in the MLS. He was gathering plenty of attention and was also said to be on Liverpool's radar.
The report at the time added that former United manager Erik ten Hag's associates had 'been in contact' with Chicago and were keen to buy the striker, who was said to be valued at just £10m back then.
Of course, there are no guarantees Duran's career would have developed in the same way it has at Villa had he have joined United, but it has become crystal clear that the powerful frontman has a high ceiling and plenty of potential. He has three Champions League goals this season, including a winner against Bayern Munich.
United have been guilty of overspending on players who have very little to next to no resale value in recent years. Casemiro is a prime example of that.
Duran, however, could have been a player United purchased for a relatively low fee, developed and then potentially sold on for a huge profit further down the line. That is a model, albeit not necessarily signing every young player or hidden gem with the ambition of eventually selling them, that United need to try and master.
Brighton & Hove Albion have been the masters of finding hidden talent, overseeing a sharp rise and then selling the player on for a tidy profit. United will no doubt have some regrets if Duran is sold before the deadline for big-money.
