Chelsea target, valued at around £35/40m, keen on switch to London giants - Reports
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is reportedly keen to move to Chelsea. The 20-year-old has scored just eight times since arriving in January 2023 and has started only thrice in the league.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has reported that the two clubs have had an 'initial approach,' with Villa eyeing Blues midfielder Conor Gallagher. Duran - who's valued by Villa at £35-40 million - seemingly favours a move to the Blues than any Serie A club. Romano tweeted:
"Jhon Duran remains one of the names on Chelsea shortlist since January. Initial approaches between Chelsea and Aston Villa took place, as Villa asked for info on Gallagher. #AVFC value Duran around £35/40m. Understand Duran gives priority to Chelsea over Italian clubs."
Gallagher, 24, is coming off a superb 2023-24 season with the Blues, contributing seven goals and nine assists in 50 outings across competitions. His contract runs out next summer, but the Euro 2024-bound Englishman could be on the move before that.
However, as per the Guardian, Gallagher seemingly doesn't want to go to Villa, but the Blues could continue their pursuit of Duran as they seek reinforcements to bolster their attack.
Chelsea return to Europe after a year's absence
Chelsea had a rather underwhelming 2023-24 season. After an expensive overhaul, Mauricio Pochettino's side struggled for consistency amid injuries to key players.
Just when they looked set for back-to-back seasons without European football, the Blues caught fire late on, reeling off five straight wins to finish a creditable sixth. Having finished a lowly 12th in the previous season to miss out on Europe, the Premier League giants sealed continental football with their impressive late-season resurgence.
They had initially qualified for the UEFA Europa League, but Manchester United's 2-1 upset over holders Manchester City in the FA Cup final meant that they ceded that place to the Red Devils, dropping down to the UEFA Europa Conference League instead.
The Blues fared well in both domestic cups, losing to Liverpool (1-0 in extra time) in the EFL Cup final and to City (1-0) in the FA Cup semifinals.