Manchester United could not make a serious attempt to sign Aston Villa sensation Jhon Duran due to financial restrictions.
As United head into the fixture against high-flying Villa on Sunday afternoon, one of their biggest concerns is expected to be Duran.
The 20-year-old Colombian striker has kicked off the new campaign on a prolific note, having scored six goals in just nine appearances across all competitions. In particular, his goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League recently garnered plenty of plaudits.
Under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils’ backline continues to appear shaky and may provide Duran a great opportunity to further increase his tally.
Interestingly, had the club’s hierarchy planned their transfer business better, the Colombia international might have been in their camp for today’s big clash in Birmingham.
According to The Mirror, two years ago United chiefs wanted to sign the young forward, who was grabbing attention with his performances in the MLS with Chicago Fire.
It is claimed United were “amongst the top contenders for his signature”. United scout Giuseppe Antonaccio had been following the player’s progress since his spell with Envigado in Colombia. Subsequently, the player’s potential was flagged to senior club officials.
After extensive scouting, United even “lodged an enquiry” and were “quoted a figure in the region of £10m” by Chicago Fire.
However, Duran’s valuation sharply increased as a number of top European clubs, including Atletico Madrid showed interest in his services, owing to his form.
The Mancunian giants, who had committed to paying £82m for Antony and £70m for Casemiro in the summer of 2022, were unable to put “serious cash on the table” and “conclude a potential deal” because of financial fair play concerns.
In January 2023, Villa managed to secure his signature after agreeing an £18 million with the MLS outfit.
Since then, the Old Trafford side have spent heavily on fixing their goal scoring issues, having signed Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee from Serie A in back to back summer transfer windows. Both young strikers are yet to establish themselves as reliable goal scorers for a club the stature of United.
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