Emery eyes upgrade on one of his first Aston Villa signings, who’ll now be shown door

Villa is actively seeking two new attacking players in the upcoming transfer window to strengthen Unai Emery’s squad, a move prompted by their impressive performance in the current campaign. Currently standing in fourth place in the Premier League, just four points behind leaders Arsenal, and leading their Europa Conference League group by three points after winning four out of five games, Villa aims to bolster their squad further.

Emery is willing to allow Duran to leave if Villa successfully secures a new forward to replace the Colombian international. Since joining the club from Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in January of the previous year, Duran has struggled to earn Emery’s favor. Despite being in the shadow of Ollie Watkins at Villa Park, the 19-year-old has not started a Premier League game this season and has played only 92 minutes across eight appearances in the top flight.

Previous reports have indicated a disagreement between Duran and Emery during the season. While most of Duran’s playing time has come in the Europa Conference League, where he has scored four goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this term, Emery is only willing to let him leave if the squad is reinforced next month. This cautious approach is to ensure an adequate number of options for Villa as they continue their pursuit of a top-four finish this season.