Chelsea are once again being linked with Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran after failing to sign him last summer.
Jhon Duran only signed a new contract at Aston Villa back in October, which runs until 2030.
However, with the 21-year-old still playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins, some clubs are starting to ask the question.
The above includes a certain side from west London, with it being claimed that Chelsea have just contacted Duran’s agent, believing that he could be available this month. With that in mind, how does he compare to the Blues’ current first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson?
Jhon Duran has been more clinical than Nicolas Jackson this season
Jackson has netted more times than Duran in the Premier League this term, scoring nine goals to his Villa counterpart’s seven.
However, Jackson has played over 1000 minutes more than Duran. The latter has been more clinical and his xG shows that.
| Player | Games | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Shots per game | xG | xG difference |
| Jhon Duran | 19 | 4 | 603 | 7 | 1.5 | 5.82 | 1.18 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 21 | 20 | 1,638 | 9 | 2.8 | 11.76 | -2.76 |
If you were to swap Duran and Jackson around, with the former being Chelsea‘s first-choice striker and the latter being Watkins’ deputy, the above suggests the Colombia international would be on more goals.
Ultimately, while Jackson can be wasteful at times, Duran is proving to be quite clinical. Alan Shearer remains a fan of Jackson’s attitude, though.
Should Chelsea make a bid for Jhon Duran this month?
Chelsea’s past interest in Duran was questionable. He lacked Premier League experience and was not making too much of an impact at Villa.
However, if you look at what the centre-forward has done in the English top flight and Champions League this season, he has proven himself somewhat.
Villa will be reluctant to sell and are under no pressure to following his contract extension. But Chelsea need a new No.9, so it is worth them launching a bid.
Jackson is really struggling at the moment, failing to score in any of his last six games. He needs to be taken out of the firing line for a bit, and while Christopher Nkunku is still at the club, Enzo Maresca continues to overlook him.
| Date | Nicolas Jackson’s last six Premier League outings | Minutes | Goals scored | Assists |
| 22/12/24 | Everton (A) | 75 | 0 | 0 |
| 26/12/24 | Fulham (H) | 73 | 0 | 0 |
| 30/12/24 | Ipswich Town (A) | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/01/25 | Crystal Palace (A) | 81 | 0 | 0 |
| 14/01/25 | Bournemouth (H) | 90 | 0 | 1 |
| 20/01/25 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | 90 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 444 | 0 | 1 |
The Frenchman may not be at Chelsea for much longer, though. AC Milan are interested in signing Nkunku, while Bayern have also been linked with him. If he goes, then Chelsea will need someone like Duran to come in.
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