Transfer News: Chelsea tracking South American starlet playing in the USA

Chelsea are tracking teenage Colombian international Jhon Duran

As per the Sun (h/t Metro), Chelsea are tracking teenage Colombian international Jhon Duran who is currently playing for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. Rivals Liverpool are also keeping an eye on the player.

Duran’s performances in the MLS recently have attracted attention not just from these two English giants, but also from other clubs around Europe, namely Spain and Germany.

The 18-year-old moved to Chicago from Colombian side Envigado this year, becoming the youngest international player signing in MLS history. His performances since arriving have been more than decent.

Playing predominantly as a striker, Duran has scored eight goals and assisted five in 26 league appearances in 2022. On the back of a strong start in Chicago, he made his national team debut last month.

The asking price is revealed to be around £10m plus add-ons. Considering the current market, top teams can take a gamble on this player with no significant financial hit even if it goes wrong.

At the age of 15, Duran became the second youngster goal-scorer in the Colombian top-flight when he scored for Envigado in 2019.

He is in good form at the moment, with five goals in his last four league appearances. He could be a subject of bids coming in from European clubs in the January transfer window.

Chelsea have Armando Broja (21) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (33) as the options for the number nine position. They could do with more additions in that department come next summer or winter.

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• Chelsea manager Graham Potter seeks clear the air talks with Romelu Lukaku about the striker’s future
• Patrick Vieira backs Conor Gallagher to keep fighting for his spot in the Chelsea team

Signing Duran may not be an automatic solution, but the player has everything in his box to show that he can be a handful for defenders in years to come. He is still only 18 mind you and will get better with more experience gained.