Manchester United will have to pay 'huge fee' for Premier League target they could have signed for £10m

Manchester United have reportedly retained their interest in signing Jhon Durán from their Premier League rivals, only now, they will need to pay significantly more than they were originally quoted.

The Aston Villa star has rapidly made a name for himself as Unai Emery’s super impact substitute this season. In 17 appearances across all competitions, Durán has scored eight goals, and five of them have followed from him coming off the bench.

Durán is yet to start a single Premier League match so far this campaign but has contributed four key goals, including the winners against Everton and West Ham United.

At just 20 years of age, the Colombian is attracting a lot of interest from around the world and United are among the clubs interested in bringing him in. This isn’t a new pursuit from the Red Devils, though. United had been keen on Durán before his move to the Premier League and were named among the top contenders to secure his signature last year.

However, their interest spans back a further year, as United representatives reportedly carried out ‘extensive scouting’ on the forward. After lodging an enquiry, the Reds were quoted £10 million to sign Durán from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire.

At the time, a number of factors contributed to United stepping down their interest. They were reportedly unsure about the immediate switch from MLS to the Premier League and in January 2023, concerns were high over potential Financial Fair Play breaches.

In the end, Aston Villa snagged an £18 million deal for Durán and thanks to his recent performances, his market value has shot up amid further interest. According to Football Insider, it will take a ‘huge fee’ for Villa to even consider selling the Colombian, who is under contract until 2030.

However, the report also claims that Durán ‘could be set to leave’ the West Midlands club in the near future, as he would like to become the first-choice striker for a team, rather than mainly serving as back-up to Ollie Watkins. Durán will apparently ‘sit down and think about his long-term future’ soon, with United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all credited with interest in the rising star.

Durán may not have started many games this season with Villa but he has played in every single one so far. The centre-forward has scored two goals in the Carabao Cup and two in the Champions League — one coming against interested party Bayern Munich in a huge 1-0 win.