Liverpool rivals 'agree £42 million deal' for Premier League ace to compete with 17-goal star

Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Premier League clubs are already making their moves on the summer transfer market.

Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday and the summer transfer window will also officially open, meaning Arne Slot and his new team can use the international tournament to eye up any potential targets. Liverpool have been linked with a number of exciting players since January and they are expected to make some big moves on the market to boost their chances of another title challenge.

Whether the Reds are going to sell any key players this summer remains to be seen but fortunately for fans, exit links have started to quieten down and many have been dropping positive hints that they could be staying at Anfield for the 2024/25 season. Regardless of whether Liverpool lose players or not, they are planning to splash some cash on new reinforcements, but so are their rivals.

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The Reds have plenty of links to explore but other Premier League teams around them have already made moves on the market. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea have wasted little time in their own spending spree and have already had an offer accepted for a new striker.

According to reports in Colombia, the Blues have ‘agreed a £42 million deal’ to sign Jhon Durán from Aston Villa. Chelsea have been scouring the market for new goalscoring options and Duran is a figure they want to bring in to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson up front. The club only signed the 22-year-old last summer from Villarreal on an eight-year deal, after paying a little more than his £30.1 million release clause.

Jackson contributed 17 goals and six assists across all competitions in his debut season but was still criticised over his inconsistent performances. Chelsea have other centre-forwards on their books in the form of Armando Broja, David Datro Fofana and Deivid Washington, but all have limited experience in the senior team.

Durán is still fairly new to Aston Villa but has struggled to establish himself a regular role as Ollie Watkins is the clear favourite for Unai Emery. Chelsea have been interested in the 20-year-old since January and now, according to Colombian journalist Guillermo Arango, the two Premier League sides have agreed on a £42 million fee for Durán’s signature, with just the personal discussions between Chelsea and the player to be held.

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The Blues enjoyed a much stronger run in the Premier League season, making up for their hugely disappointing campaign the year before. Chelsea’s 12th place finish was their worst since 1994 but they pushed back up to sixth in the latest season and they will only be looking to further build on this after the summer.

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