Liverpool were favourites to sign ‘special’ player before shock announcement
Liverpool were reportedly the favourites to sign Chicago Fire wonderkid Jhon Duran before Aston Villa announced the capture of the striker this Monday in a shock announcement.
According to the Birmingham Mail, the Reds were one of the leading clubs to sign Duran this January, however, Villa beat Liverpool to the punch by once again working in the shadows to secure another incredible deal from out of the blue.
Unai Emery’s side announced the transfer on Monday afternoon in a deal that could be worth as much as $18m (£15m), with Duran regarded by many as one of the most exciting prospects in MLS and a talent who was ready to make the move to Europe in 2023.
Hailed as a ‘really special’ talent, Duran bagged eight goals and three assists for the Fire last season in what was another dismal MLS campaign for the Illinois-based franchise. And the Colombian international’s performances have now led to a huge move to the Premier League.
Indeed, it might be some time before we see Duran in a Villa kit. However, there’s no denying that the West Midlands club have pulled off yet another impressive deal, with the 19-year-old attacker an excellent signing for the Villa Park side’s future.
As for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp could soon be regretting the Reds’ decision to not chase Duran, with the Reds doing an especially good job in recent windows in signing young talents and nurturing them into first-team players, namely Harvey Elliott and Ibrahima Konate.
Liverpool could regret not signing new Villa wonderkid Duran
Duran was seemingly on Liverpool’s radar for quite some time. However, with Villa being as efficient as they are in the transfer market, the Premier League side have played a blinder in landing the MLS wonderkid ahead of their English rivals. Much to the dismay of Klopp.
After all, Liverpool would have been an ideal club for the South American youngster. And whilst Villa could provide a clearer path to regular Premier League football, signing and playing for the Reds might have seen Duran’s career take off in a whole new and exciting direction.
