Enzo Maresca already knows masterplan behind Chelsea’s £42m Jhon Duran transfer

Chelsea fans are entering the summer transfer window cautious about how Todd Boehly will look to spend his money. The Blues have been criticised by those both inside and outside their fanbase about how much they have spent on unproven players. It is therefore unlikely to be met warmly by some that Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran is being linked with Stamford Bridge.

Villa’s centre-forward moved to the West Midlands from MLS side Chicago Fire in January 2023. Last season was a breakout campaign for the Columbian who made 37 appearances in all competitions. However, Duran picked up a hamstring injury at the end of January which kept him sidelined until mid-March and he only completed a full 90 minutes in the Premier League once.

This perhaps explains why he scored just eight goals last season. But, his manager Unai Emery’s comments suggest that the Blues are right to target the striker despite him having a reported £42m price tag.

Speaking after Duran bagged a brace against Liverpool, the former Arsenal manager said: “He is very young – 20 years old. “His potential, it is impossible to predict how far he is going to get. I believe in him.

“It is different football in Colombia. Tactically, the football is very different in the Premier League. “We are working with him a lot. I know he is going to score, get chances and use his power. “His potential is clear, but we need to manage him as a young person. But today I am very happy with how he helped us because this is the consequence – we drew.”

On the surface, bringing Duran to Stamford Bridge seems like the exact type of signing that Enzo Maresca will be wanting to make. The project at Chelsea is to pick up young players who can develop into future stars and it is clear Duran is on an upward trajectory.

Emery seems unconcerned by his lack of goals to date and it feels like the forward has started to find his feet in the Premier League just as the season ended. Meanwhile, Maresca will be looking to bring players to the club that are on the cusp of being worth £80m, £90m or even £100m in the future.

Wait another year and that could well be the case with Duran. It is a massive gamble but Maresca signed up to the masterplan this summer and now he must trust it will work.