Jhon Duran…

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
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Oct 22, 2012
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Been talking about him on here for a while. I’m a huge fan, best young centre forward in the PL for me. I couldn’t understand why it seemed like Villa were happy to sell him this summer, if it came down to it, I’d rather con someone out of £80m odd for Watkins than sell him for £40m.

He has big personality and self-confidence, which is one of the first things I look for in a young striker. Not all strikers play as if they KNOW they are good and take every shot as if they mean it rather than apologetically. Others can do so up unto a point, but as the stage gets bigger, the belief gets smaller. With Duran, he takes winning goals, goals against top teams as if he means it.

We are stocked in his position, but he’d be a shrewd signing for a team like Chelsea or Arsenal, although I suspect the cat might be fully out of the bag by next summer based on how he’s started the season, and the price won’t be £40m next time.
 
He’s a total enigma this one. Massive talent but wildly inconsistent. Not the player the manager relies on to implement a game plan and do the consistent dirty work of pressing from the front and running the channels, but an absolute wild card to bring off the bench and change the game. He has all the tools to be a top striker. He’s quick, he’s big, he’s very technical, and he has a viscous shot.

Given his performances, it is surprising that Villa were looking to offload him. Seems bizarre given how many crucial goals he’s scored for them, but I think it’s a combination of PSR concerns and all the rumours surrounding his off field attitude and application in training. Apparently there are a lot of questions surrounding his professionalism.

All that aside, going from a fans view, just judging what you see on the field, he’s fantastic. Almost guarantees a goal off the bench. And can score in pretty much every way, so when he’s brought on, there is no preset game plan for how to stop him. He’s very unpredictable. Might get in there for a towering header, or might lash one in from 35 yards. Defenders nightmare.

Be interesting to see how he develops this season. Good for Villa that they have a genuine rotation option for Watkins, so much so that Watkins has to genuinely keep his form up to retain his place. That’s how good Duran has looked. Should help them with their CL campaign and keeping Watkins fresh.
 
Why have Villa been so desperate to get rid of him? He seemingly scores every time he’s allowed onto the pitch.
 
Durán and Olise at Chelsea, with Palmer behind at #10...could've been something.
 
WeePat said:
Why have Villa been so desperate to get rid of him? He seemingly scores every time he’s allowed onto the pitch.
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More he was playing up behind the scenes a bit after hardly playing in 23-24. Start of last season he started with 4 in 6 games and Ollie didn't score any so think he was expecting to start Chelsea away in September. It didn't happen, Ollie scored the winner and a hat trick the next game and he didn't start a prem game until March.

McGinn referenced some stuff end of last season about his attitude around the changing room aswell but seems the penny has dropped after the failed moves and we sold Archer instead to pay the PSR bills. Will be going right to the top with the finishes he's producing currently.
 
The power he generated from a standing position is unreal. Don't think I've seen a similar goal before.
 
3 goals in just over 100 minutes from the bench this season. Really curious to see him start a run of games to assess what impact he’d have as, thus far, he’s still an unknown quantity in that aspect. For me he’s one of the most exciting prospects the Premier League has right now.
 
Duran is only 20 and Rogers (an enigma) is only 22. Villa have struck gold. If they upgrade McGinn etc they could be a great watch and champions league contenders for years to come and look a much better team than Newcastle or Spurs.
 
I mean, if today's work doesn't get this thread bumped, what will!

Put himself on the world map today. Superb goal and overall performance.
 
The best young centre forward in the game at the moment. He’s incredible. Was so baffled all summer when he looked to be available for just 40m. Would have been an incredible deal for any of his suitors at that price.
 
I'm really warming to this guy. I want Højlund to succeed here as well, but there is something with this guy's confidence that screams he is going to make it. Not that we're the club for him to go in terms of development, but I can see a top club going for him. I'll be annoyed if he goes to Arsenal or Chelsea.
 
I think he’s going all the way to Real personally.
 
Easily a 80m + striker with what he's producing and his age and overall potential.

Complete mental to think he's still started less than five prem games for us in nearly two years at the club.

We're in that lovely position now of possibly selling Watkins for huge money next summer (as we've had five brilliant years from him and he's coming up to 30 now) and just handing the CF realm for Duran to have some fun with.
 
FootballHQ said:
Easily a 80m + striker with what he's producing and his age and overall potential.

Complete mental to think he's still started less than five prem games for us in nearly two years at the club.

We're in that lovely position now of possibly selling Watkins for huge money next summer (as we've had five brilliant years from him and he's coming up to 30 now) and just handing the CF realm for Duran to have some fun with.
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Not sure who's gonna part with huge money for a player who's 29 in December with potentially zero resale value. I think you're more likely to sell Duran and keep Watkins if I'm honest.
 
FootballHQ said:
Easily a 80m + striker with what he's producing and his age and overall potential.

Complete mental to think he's still started less than five prem games for us in nearly two years at the club.

We're in that lovely position now of possibly selling Watkins for huge money next summer (as we've had five brilliant years from him and he's coming up to 30 now) and just handing the CF realm for Duran to have some fun with.
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Clubs aren't that stupid, you're stuck with Watkins for the forseeable future.
 
Sancho99 said:
Not sure who's gonna part with huge money for a player who's 29 in December with potentially zero resale value. I think you're more likely to sell Duran and keep Watkins if I'm honest.
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Solanke is already 27 so that's a comparable type scenario given what Spurs paid for him.
 
How is Villa's reserve striker better then most teams starting strikers?

Including ours...
 
We were set to buy him for 40M and walked away....
 
Zaphod2319 said:
We were set to buy him for 40M and walked away....
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To be fair, you already have Nico Jackson, who imho is better at the moment. Maybe not a better striker of the ball, but overall a better player. But yeah, I'd be a bit annoyed too missing out on him for £40m :lol:
 
Zaphod2319 said:
We were set to buy him for 40M and walked away....
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Bad mistake.. Having home as our main striker would have completed us... (apart from the crappy goalkeeper and some rubbish defenders)
 
What I find entertaining is the continuing idea that Chelsea’s scouting and recruitment is a haphazard mess. When we were in for Olise even after buying Palmer: “they have zero idea what they’re doing. An injury riddled RW when you e already bought people there”

When we were offering 55m to Everton for Anthony Gordon before it fell through: “Have Chelsea lost their minds? Seriously, not a bad little player, but this is getting absurd.”

Chelsea working out a deal for Jhon Duran: “Chelsea need a starter. They already have a prospect in Jackson, they don’t need to buy someone else who may or may not produce”

Honestly we should listen to other people less.

Those three deals fell through for very different reasons, but validation is always nice. Duran is a really good striker.
 
FootballHQ said:
Easily a 80m + striker with what he's producing and his age and overall potential.

Complete mental to think he's still started less than five prem games for us in nearly two years at the club.

We're in that lovely position now of possibly selling Watkins for huge money next summer (as we've had five brilliant years from him and he's coming up to 30 now) and just handing the CF realm for Duran to have some fun with.
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Feels like the big clubs are super against spending massive cash for older players now. There’s no chance an Arsenal or a Liverpool or a Chelsea who could still be looking to bring in a new striker next summer will offer big money for a 30 year old with zero future resale value. Especially my club who seem to have a pretty strict 25 or younger policy.

He’d cost something crazy now, but I think the sharks will come circling much more for Duran than Watkins. If you miss out on top 4 can you afford to turn down big money for him and comply with PSR?
 
Orc said:
Feels like the big clubs are super against spending massive cash for older players now. There’s no chance an Arsenal or a Liverpool or a Chelsea who could still be looking to bring in a new striker next summer will offer big money for a 30 year old with zero future resale value. Especially my club who seem to have a pretty strict 25 or younger policy.

He’d cost something crazy now, but I think the sharks will come circling much more for Duran than Watkins. If you miss out on top 4 can you afford to turn down big money for him and comply with PSR?
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I generally agree with this sentiment; however Barca signed Lewandowski and Bayern signed Kane...both for significant sums in their mid 30s. I think clubs will pay for an older striker if they feel like he was the missing piece to the puzzle.
I reckon Toney would have had bids from top 4 club without the gambling baggage and Brentford's madness
 
Pepesuave said:
I generally agree with this sentiment; however Barca signed Lewandowski and Bayern signed Kane...both for significant sums in their mid 30s. I think clubs will pay for an older striker if they feel like he was the missing piece to the puzzle.
I reckon Toney would have had bids from top 4 club without the gambling baggage and Brentford's madness
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The two you mention are the best 5 strikers of the last decade....and this is Ollie Watkins were are talking about, no offense.
 
You can see with Duran he has that wolflike hunger. Could go far if he keeps his head straight.
 
ayushreddevil9 said:
I saw a tweet suggesting that our scouts recommended him when he was 18 and was available for 10m
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For once I hope the club would listen to our scouts. I dont how many time I have seen scouts recommending a player and club not buying that player.
 
FootballHQ said:
Easily a 80m + striker with what he's producing and his age and overall potential.

Complete mental to think he's still started less than five prem games for us in nearly two years at the club.

We're in that lovely position now of possibly selling Watkins for huge money next summer (as we've had five brilliant years from him and he's coming up to 30 now) and just handing the CF realm for Duran to have some fun with.
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I think it's probably likely you keep Watkins and sell Duran.
 
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