Aston Villa are not short of attacking options in their current squad. Unai Emery has a plethora of attackers, with some January signings helping to reinforce that depth up front. January additions Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio have made a fast start to life at Villa Park.
Rashford, who is on loan from Manchester United, has three assists in seven games, and Asensio, who is at Villa Park temporarily from Paris Saint-Germain, has already scored five goals.
Villa also signed Donyell Malen in January from Borussia Dortmund, adding to the depth of an attack that includes Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey.
However, the West Midlands outfit did lose one of their big-name forwards, Jhon Duran in the winter window.
Jhon Duran’s Aston Villa record
It was hard for Villa to turn down Saudi side Al-Nassr’s offer for Duran in January. He left the club to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo for a fee that could reportedly reach as high as £71m. Given they paid just £18m two years prior, that was a strong deal for the Villans.
Indeed, Duran’s record was impressive in that famous Claret and Blue shirt. He scored 20 goals in 78 appearances, but only featured for a total of 2272 minutes. That is the equivalent of 25 full 90-minute games, leaving him with an impressive goal-to-game ratio
The Colombian striker was a scorer of sublime goals during his time at Villa Park. He was not afraid to try his luck with a shot from range, including a screamer against Everton, which proved to be a winner in a 3-2 comeback win.
Losing the 21-year-old was certainly a blow for Villa, especially when you factor in the number of goals he scored in such a short space of time. However, they have replaced him with the likes of Rashford and Malen.
In fact, it is not only their January recruits that could be the answer to filling the void left by Duran. The answer may also lie in the academy.
Aston Villa’s in-house Duran replacement
The Villans academy has produced some great talent over the last few years. Of course, Jack Grealish is arguably the most famous academy product, but more recently, stars including Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka are also graduates.
Next in line to graduate from the Villa academy could be Scottish striker Rory Wilson, if the youngster’s current situation is reversed. Described as a “star in the making” by football scout Antonio Mango, the former Rangers youngster has impressed for Villa in recent years.
Throughout his time at the club, he has played 53 games, and already has 36 goals to his name. That includes an incredible record of 27 goals and two assists in 25 appearances for the under-18s side, for whom he averages 1.16 goals per game.
Stat
Under-18s
Under-19s
Under-23s
Games
25
1
27
Minutes
2045
90
1326
Goals
27
1
8
Assists
2
0
3
Wilson’s involvement this season has been few and far between. He started 2024/25 on fire, with a record of two goals and one assist in four games, but has not played since September.
In The Pipeline
Although he had an injury at the start of the campaign, the reason for his absence is unclear, albeit while having reportedly been exiled due to his failure to pen a new deal.
The Villans are seemingly in a real battle to keep the talented young striker. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and it was reported at the end of last term that European heavyweights Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Feyenoord are all interested in signing him.
Well, the West Midlands side arguably cannot face a repeat of the Duran situation. Wilson could be their long-term replacement for the Colombian, and giving him first-team chances could be the persuasion he needs to extend his stay at Villa Park.
There is no doubt he is a talented player, and if Emery’s side can keep hold of him beyond this season, Villa might have one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe on their hands.
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