Aston Villa set their sights on former player to replace Jhon Duran

Young forward Jhon Duran appears to be close to the exit door at Aston Villa as negotiations to sell to Premier League rivals Chelsea continue and Villa have already lined up his replacement.

Aston Villa v AFC Ajax: Round of 16 Second Leg - UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24
Aston Villa v AFC Ajax: Round of 16 Second Leg - UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 | Visionhaus/GettyImages

It has been reported that former Aston Villa forward Tammy Abraham is looking to return to the Premier League and his current club Roma are bracing themselves for bids from a number of teams.

The former Aston Villa loanee, who scored 26 goals in 40 appearances in the season that saw Villa win the Champions Play-offs and secure promotion back to the Premier League, is said to be available for as little as £15 million this summer. The forward has accumulated 50 G/A in 119 matches since joining Roma for £34 million in 2021.

Keinan Davis, Tammy Abraham, Kortney Hause
West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa - Sky Bet Championship Play-off Semi Final: Second Leg | Alex Livesey/GettyImages

The 26-year-old suffered an ACL tear in his left knee back in June 2023 that kept him sidelined for 10 months. Abraham returned to the squad in April and didn't complete a full 90 minutes before the season drew to a close with most of his appearances being from the bench. Abraham scored one goal in the final eight games of the season.

After struggling to make an impact upon his return to the squad following his long term absence, Roma are willing to sell Abraham and look to recruit another forward themselves. With Villa looking to replace their young Colombian international Duran, who is very likely to join Chelsea for a fee of up to £45 million, Abraham appears to be a good option. Villa fans would likely be pleased at the thought of Abraham coming back to Villa Park especially as he had this to say back in May:

"Aston Villa was probably the best experience of my career. The promotion was probably one of the best moments of my career. It was an amazing club. I didn't realise how massive they were until I signed. I still watch every game and still feel the same love for them."
Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham
Aston Villa v Derby County - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final | Chloe Knott - Danehouse/GettyImages

With a full pre-season under Unai Emery and more time to recover to the level of ability he showed prior to his serious ACL injury, Abraham could be a shrewd signing at a relatively cheap price. However, Villa will have to act quick as clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Wolves have also been rumoured to be interested in capturing Abraham's signature.

UTV