After Jude Bellingham, Endrick and Adra Guler, La Liga giants Real Madrid have set their sights on another promising youngster. If reports are true the Carlo Ancelotti-managed Los Blancos are closely monitoring Aston Villa's Jhon Duran with a solid interest to sign him in January.
Meet Jhon Duran: Unai's Weapon X
Jhon Duran had made the headlines recently by scoring Aston Villa's winner against the mighty Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The 20-year-old Colombian forward, whose current contract would keep him at Villa Park until 2028, has scored six goals all season. Intrestingly, the attacker only made one start in his nine appearances.
Duran joined Aston Villa in January 2023, completing a move from MLS side Chicago Fire. His football journey began with the Colombian side Envigado. Duran scored eight times for Fire in 28 appearances ahead of reaching the English shores.
Real Madrid's recruitment team has been highly impressed by Duran, Football Insider said in a report. They are likely to keep a close eye on his progress under Unai Emery ahead of the January transfer window, the report added.
ALSO READ | Football transfers: Biggest flops in the last 20 years
Real Madrid, who are second in the Spanish top-tier, had further strengthened their attacking department with the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe from PSG. Brazilian trio Endrick, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Jr are supported by Brahim Diaz and Turkish wonderboy Guler, while Jude Bellingham operates from the heart of the pitch.
Aston Villa, who stunned Bayern Munich in their recent UCL outing, stands fifth in the Premier League with four wins and one defeat. Duran was introduced as a second-half substitute by Unai Emery and he lived up to the expectations of the gaffer by scoring the game's only goal in the 79th minute.