Unai Emery has assembled an incredible Aston Villa squad with at least two players of real quality in almost every position.
Given Aston Villa will compete in the Champions League, it is essential for Unai Emery to have the depth to compete on all fronts and he will believe he now has that after a busy transfer window.
One of the sagas of the summer revolved around the future of 20-year-old Jhon Duran, with the Colombian’s head initially turned by interest from Chelsea in January.
Duran’s behaviour was very unprofessional throughout the summer as an exit looked a foregone conclusion but after being handed the number nine shirt and assurances regarding his role the striker decided to stay at Villa.
Emery has been reaping the rewards of convincing Duran to stay, with the youngster coming off the bench to score twice in Villa’s three games so far.
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Jhon Duran has given Unai Emery Aston Villa selection dilemma
Ollie Watkins is the main man at Villa and his incredible form last season made opportunities very hard to come by for Duran.
However, Watkins has started the season poorly and missed some guilt-edged chances whilst Duran has replaced him in all three games, scoring twice.
- READ MORE: Tony Cascarino shares honest Ollie Watkins verdict after Aston Villa win over Leicester City
Watkins’ struggles have been attributed to a lack of pre-season due to his exploits with England at Euro 2024, but Duran will believe he deserves to replace the 28-year-old in the starting XI.
President of footballing operations, Monchi, has explained the situation Emery is contending with at Villa, with two strikers who both believe they should be starting.
Villa journalist John Townley posted a quote from an interview with Monchi on X, where he explained: “We have Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran wants to play. He thinks he is better than Watkins. That is normal because every player thinks he is better than their teammates.
“To manage Watkins and Duran is not easy but at the end it is the best for the team.”
Emery likely to stick with Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa vs Everton
Duran’s form is difficult to ignore but there are a couple of factors that mean it is likely Watkins retains his starting spot against Everton on Saturday.
The first is that Duran is currently on international duty with Colombia where he faces Emi Martinez’s Argentina on Tuesday night before both players will travel thousands of miles back to England.
- READ MORE: What Colombian media are saying about Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran after 1-1 draw vs Peru
Fatigue, jet-lag and lack of preparation could all see Duran reprise his spot on the bench at Villa Park on Saturday, whereas Watkins pulled out of the England squad so should be fresh.
The other factor is that, put simply, so far it is working with Duran making an impact off the bench.
The explosive striker will not want to be considered a ‘super-sub’, but Emery currently has a formula that’s working and perhaps he will feel by sticking with Watkins from the start he can help the former Brentford man rediscover the form that saw him register 40 goal contributions last season.
