"The interest has always existed" - Agent says Chelsea are interested in signing 20-year-old Premier League star

Jonathan Herrera, the agent of Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, has said that Chelsea have had an interest in the 20-year-old for a while. Duran might have arrived at Stamford Bridge on loan in January if not for an injury.

Nevertheless, despite a managerial change - with Mauricio Pochettino departing earlier this week - the Blues seem to have continued their interest in the Colombia hitman.

The 20-year-old has had a decent season with Villa, managing eight goals in 37 games across competitions. Five of them came in 20 games in the Premier League, where the club finished fourth to return to the UEFA Champions League after four decades.

Meanwhile, Herrera told ElVBar Caracol (via GOAL) about the Blues' longstanding interest in the player:

"The interest has always existed. The fact that Pochettino continues or leaves the club (should not affect), the one who wants him in the end is the club.

"He is a player who, whether they change coaches or not, is something we will see what happens, but there has always been an interest. Let's see how we can handle it and make sure Aston Villa is ready."

The Chelsea target, who arrived from Chicago Fire in January 2023 in a reported £18 million deal, is contracted to Villa Park till 2028.

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What else did Chelsea target's agent say about the player?

Jhon Duran

Jhon Duran's agent continued in the aforementioned interaction that his client has fared well at Aston Villa, but he wants to more and would like to explore a few options.

With Villa set to play in their first UEFA Champions League campaign next season, Duran could have a role to play. But with the transfer market set to open shortly, Villa might sense an opportunity to ship him out.

"He is a player who has a contract with Aston Villa," he said. "He ended up doing things very well and the coach is counting on him. It is a club that has gotten into the Champions League.

"It is a great opportunity, but we know that he wants to play, he wants to go out and play, let's see. Now the market is opening, the club is looking at some options and so are we.”

Aston Villa finished fourth, two places above Chelsea, in the Premier League.