Jhon Duran remained with Aston Villa throughout the January transfer window, although his future at Villa Park is uncertain. Early in the window, it was revealed that both Milan clubs were in talks to recruit Duran on loan until the end of the season, citing Unai Emery’s reservations about his attitude on the training field.
Then, as the deadline approached, it was revealed that Chelsea had discussed a move for the Colombian, despite the fact that Emery is not the “biggest fan” of the 2023 signing.
Zaniolo, like Duran, has played as a centre-forward this season, as well as a second striker, and the departure of one or both players may compel Villa to look for a replacement to give backup and competition for Ollie Watkins.
According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle are among the Premier League clubs that have contacted Lille to express an interest in Jonathan David. Thomas Frank, Brentford manager, is also said to be a big fan.
Lille are demanding €50m (around £43m) for David, who’s “desperate” to play in the Premier League. It’s worth noting that his contract is due to expire in 18 months’ time, which could put the Ligue 1 club under pressue to sell him this summer.
Having joined Lille from Gent in 2020, David has gone on to either score or assist 86 goals in 166 appearances for the club, including 68 in 133 in the league. In the club’s entire history, only Andre Strappe (82) has scored more than David’s 71, and he was playing in the mid-20th century. No wonder, then, that European football writer Antonio Mango has called his output “absolutely insane”.
The 2022/23 season was David’s best to date as he struck 26 times in 40 games, including 24 in Ligue 1. As you can see in the table below, only Kylian Mbappe and Alexandre Lacazette scored more in the French top-flight, and only five players across the big five leagues posted a higher tally.
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