Romano drops spicy Duran update after Chelsea reach Aston Villa agreement

Tom Weber

• Updated: 19 Jun 2024 19:11 BST
• 3 min read

A swap deal between Chelsea and Aston Villa remains a distinct possibility, but it may not involve Jhon Duran, according to Fabrizio Romano.

After some back-and-forth talks with many names mentioned, Aston Villa and Chelsea have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ian Maatsen. David Ornstein of The Athletic broke the news that the two clubs have settled on a transfer fee north of €40 million, with the Dutchman set to sign a six-year contract.

However, that is not the end of the story. Quite to the contrary, it may only just be the beginning. Previously, a swap deal had been mooted, with Chelsea interested in Villa striker Jhon Duran.

READ MORE: Chelsea suffer damning Euro 2024 transfer blow

Initially, the deal was supposed to be over Duran and Conor Gallagher, but the latter's refusal to engage in negotiations during Euro 2024 led to Villa focusing on Maatsen instead.

Despite the fact that Ornstein made no mention of a swap deal when he broke the Maatsen news, Fabrizio Romano reports that it is still possible to see a Villa star heading to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea to move on from Duran?

According to the Italian transfer expert, the two "clubs are discussing the possibility to include one player in the deal," but it is "currently not guaranteed to be Jhon Duran."

This is interesting in light of the news that Chelsea had launched an ultimately futile bid to sign Atletico Madrid youngster Samu Omorodion on Tuesday.

Chelsea are still in the process of deciding whether Duran, who has failed to dislodge Ollie Watkins as Villa's starting striker, is the right man for them and it seems as though the answer might just be 'no.'

READ MORE: Chelsea target €100m-rated striker after Duran and Omorodion setbacks

The fact that a swap deal between Unai Emery's side and that of Enzo Maresca could yet take place is very intriguing, though, because it could mean, if Chelsea indeed decide to move on from Duran, that an entirely new name could crop up in connection with the Blues.

It would be pointless to speculate who the player in question could be, but there are certainly some very attractive names currently under contract at Aston Villa.