After compiling Manchester City’s misery with a 2-1 victory last time out, Aston Villa have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a £64m forward in a deal that could see Jhon Duran head in the opposite direction.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans are a difficult side to judge this season. Whilst they haven’t hit the heights of the last campaign just yet, as shown in a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest last weekend, they bounced back in style by pushing Manchester City to one side in a game that could have easily been a thrashing rather than a narrow victory at Villa Park.
If they want to make it back-to-back top-four finishes, however, then those in the Midlands may well need to turn their attention back towards the transfer market in 2025, with names such as Manfred Ugalde and Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard already mentioned in recent weeks.
Ugalde would be a particularly interesting addition, given that the Villans are already well-stocked when it comes to goalscorers. But as 2025 approaches, it’s Paris Saint-Germain who could quickly change that.
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He’s earned quite the praise.
According to reports in Spain, PSG may have initiated contact to offer Aston Villa Randal Kolo Muani in a swap deal to sign Duran in 2025. The French giants are set to show their forward the door almost two years since his arrival for an initial £64m from Eintracht Frankfurt and now seemingly want Villa’s in-form star to act as an instant upgrade.
It’s a deal that would certainly steal the headlines, but whether Villa would be getting the better end of it is another question entirely. Given how disappointing Kolo Muani’s PSG spell has been and Duran’s contrasting fortunes on top of that, it’s not a deal that Villa should take.
Aston Villa should reject PSG swap deal
If Aston Villa get the chance to sign Kolo Muani at a cut price and without the inclusion of Duran, then it’s a deal worth pursuing. After all, this is still a 26-year-old forward who stole the show for Frankfurt not so long ago. But as things stand, it is a deal that those in the Midlands should reject. Duran is playing a growing part in Unai Emery’s side and unless an undeniable fee comes Villa’s way, keeping hold of both him and Ollie Watkins should remain imperative.
|
League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Randal Kolo Muani |
Jhon Duran |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
358 |
492 |
|
Goals |
2 |
6 |
|
Assists |
1 |
0 |
|
Expected Goals |
4.7 |
3.8 |
Simply put, Duran is clinical where Muani is wasteful in front of goal with both handed fairly minimal opportunity to start from the off. In just under 500 minutes – around 5.5 games – Duran has managed six goals and has managed to outperform his expected rate of just under four goals in that time. Kolo Muani, meanwhile, has underperformed by almost three goals.
A player once described as “quick” and “strong” by Oliver Glasner, Kolo Muani has quickly become a shadow of his best self at PSG.
