Jamie Carragher has called on Aston Villa to consider selling their £85m-rated striker, Jhon Duran, to fund improvements in other areas of Unai Emery’s squad.
Despite being one of the Premier League’s most promising young talents with 20 goals across two-and-a-half seasons, the 21-year-old Colombian forward has struggled to secure a starting spot this season.
Limited to just four league starts under Emery, Duran remains in Ollie Watkins’ shadow as the team’s main striker.
Over the summer, West Ham showed serious interest, reportedly offering £57m, but Aston Villa rejected the bid. Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and even clubs in the Saudi Pro League are all rumored to be keeping tabs on Duran’s situation.
While Villa has made it clear they want to keep the forward, and Duran himself has expressed happiness at the club, Carragher believes selling him could be beneficial. Speaking on Sky Sports before Villa’s clash with West Ham, the former Liverpool defender argued that moving Duran could provide long-term advantages.
Carragher explained, “Selling Duran might seem counterintuitive since most clubs would sell the older player, but it makes sense. You could push for an extra £10m for him. He’s clearly a talented player, but it’s tough to maximize his potential when he’s competing with Watkins for minutes.”
The football pundit drew comparisons to Tottenham’s struggles finding a backup for Harry Kane, noting, “Good strikers don’t want to wait for their chance. It’s hard to get the best out of Watkins when he knows Duran will inevitably replace him late in games. It creates tension.”
Villa’s approach of swapping Watkins for Duran mid-game isn’t sustainable, Carragher argued. He added, “One player needs to be the team’s clear No. 9. For me, that’s Watkins. Duran’s presence complicates the dynamic and risks stalling both players’ development.”
While Duran recently signed a new contract, Carragher believes the club should cash in and reinvest the funds. “Villa could get £60-70m for him and use that money to strengthen elsewhere. Watkins isn’t finished; he’s got years left at the top level,” he said.
Carragher predicted that if Duran isn’t firmly established as the first-choice striker by the season’s end, he’ll push for a summer move. “He won’t want to start next season on the bench again,” Carragher added.
Fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp echoed Carragher’s thoughts, suggesting Duran’s presence is unsettling Watkins. “Top strikers want to start games, not come off the bench. It’s a tricky situation for Villa, but Duran’s role may be disrupting team harmony,” Redknapp said.
With a tough decision looming, Aston Villa must weigh their options carefully. Should they sell Duran now and reinvest, or risk keeping an unhappy player who could depart anyway?
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