Aston Villa man keen for more game time amid interest from Premier League rivals

Chelsea's interest in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is 'legitimate', according to a report by The Telegraph, with the player eager to get more game time.

The Colombian isn't guaranteed regular minutes at Villa Park and the club have a decision to make regarding his long-term future at the club.

Duran, 20, is still raw but provides useful competition and depth to Ollie Watkins up front. It would be a surprise to see him head out the exit door before the end of the transfer window next Wednesday, especially if it was to Chelsea.

He hasn't quite managed to hit the ground running since moving to England 12 months ago. The best is still yet to come from him in an Aston Villa shirt and it would be a risk to let him leave this winter if he was to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, especially if a replacement forward wasn't brought in to fill the void left.

Unai Emery's pursuit of Middlesbrough's Morgan Rogers has been well documented this month but he is more of winger than a centre-forward. It remains to be seen whether he will be leaving the Riverside Stadium.

Duran has made 35 appearances in all competitions since his switch and has found the net on four occasions, all of which have come in this campaign. Prior to his move to the Midlands, he spent a year at Chicago Fire in MLS and caught the eye in America by scoring eight goals in 28 outings.