Premier League star ‘still wants Chelsea move despite Mauricio Pochettino’s exit’ as their agent warns current club to ‘be ready’ ahead of summer transfer window

A Premier League star is reportedly still keen to make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer, despite Chelsea not even having a manager.

Mauricio Pochettino left the club by mutual consent on Tuesday evening at the end of a whirlwind campaign in which his side shocked many by qualifying for Europa League football.

It came at the end of a season of uncertainty at Chelsea, with Pochettino’s position under massive scrutiny for much of the 2023/24 campaign as the Blues struggled for consistency.

However, despite a disappointing season, they could still remain a favorite destination for young talents, with one Premier League striker still keen to make the move after being linked in January, according to their agent.

The agent of Aston Villa striker John Duran has openly claimed that his client is still important to Chelsea because it was never about Pochettino who wanted the player, but the club.

Jhon Duran’s agent (centre) has insisted the player is still keen to join the Blues despite Pochettino’s departure

‘He is a player with a contract with Aston Villa, he has done very well in the end and the coach is counting on him. It’s a club that, now that he’s in the Champions League, it’s a great opportunity, but we know that’s what he wants. play, we’ll see.”, said agent Jonathan Herrera via Sports Witness.

‘Now that the market is opening up, the club is looking at some options and so are we.’

He continued: “The interest has always been there. The fact that Pochettino continues or leaves the club [shouldn’t affect]the one who ultimately wants him is the club.

‘He’s a player where we’ll see what happens whether they change coaches or not, but there has always been interest. Let’s see how we can tackle it and make sure Aston Villa is ready.”

Duran’s time at Aston Villa may have been frustrating, as the striker struggled to break into the first team.

A big part of that stems from the fact that Ollie Watkins has been one of the stories of the season; his 19 goals and 13 assists most likely got him into the England squad for the European Championship.

Yet there are still flashes of Duran’s impressive talent on display, despite only three Premier League starts and only one 90-minute appearance.

In 25 appearances he scored five goals, but they came in 456 minutes, meaning he averages a goal every 91.2 minutes, which is an impressive scoring rate regardless of the small sample size.

Duran has scored five Premier League goals from 25 games, but they came every 91.2 minutes

If you scroll through Duran’s likes from his official

One of the messages Duran communicated with via a Chelsea supporter account asks for other fans’ opinions on the Villa striker’s potential.

Other interactions have largely focused on posts discussing Duran’s stats and performances in the Premier League with Villa this season.

Meanwhile, the Colombian emerging talent was recently playfully described by Villa captain John McGinn as a ‘bit crazy’ and a ‘nightmare’ following his goal-scoring performance against Liverpool.