Aston Villa agree deal with Chicago Fire for MLS wonderkid Jhon Durán
Aston Villa announced on Monday that the club had reached an agreement with Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) for the transfer of 19-year-old forward Jhon Durán.
Should Durán pass a medical, agree personal terms, and complete visa requirements, he could, become the second most expensive outgoing MLS transfer in history. The initial transfer fee is reportedly $18 million with up to $4 million in potential add ons.
Durán was a sought-after talent drawing interest from clubs all around Europe. Capped at the senior international level with Colombia, the Medellín-born attacker scored eight times from 8.0 expected goals (xG) in 27 appearances (14 starts) last season.
Physically imposing at 6-foot-1, Durán is a complete forward, clinical in front of goal and confident with the ball at his feet. With his size and technical ability he’s also capable of dropping off to hold up play for runners in behind.
The rise of Jhon Durán
Durán was earmarked as one to watch in 2019, when he became the youngest player (15 years, 263 days) to ever score in Colombia’s top flight.
Two years later, Durán tallied seven goals in 24 appearances for Envigado, prompting the Fire to secure his signature. Signed for up to $2.5 million, Durán became the youngest international player in the history of MLS when he joined the club on 1 January, 2022.
He made his MLS debut on 26 February, 2022, and he scored his first goal for the club as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati on 14 May, 2022. Durán went on to score seven more times during the 2022 season.
Having previously been capped twice with Colombia’s under-17 side in 2019, Durán made his senior international debut on 24 September, 2022 when he came on as a substitute for Radamel Falcao in a match against Guatemala.
On Tuesday Durán withdrew from the Colombian national team to travel to England to finalize his pending transfer.
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