Unai Emery: Jhon Duran can be world class but needs time at Aston Villa
Unai Emery believes patience is required with Jhon Duran’s development after claiming Villa’s teenage striker has the potential to be one of the world’s best.
Duran has scored four goals this season but has not been involved in either of the club’s last two Premier League matches due to a toe injury.
Emery was recently forced to deny talk of a fall-out after the 19-year-old Colombia international, who joined in January from Chicago Fire for an initial £15.4million, deleted all reference to Villa from his social media accounts.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, Emery expressed his belief in Duran’s ability but warned it will take time before it is fully realised.
“With Jhon Duran I have my challenge as a coach with him,” said Emery. “He is young and his potential could be great, to be the level of one of the better strikers in the world in the future.
“But it is about trying to build and do a process with him. He is still young and getting experience. Each training day here is important to him for when he is facing each match, to feel comfortable and face the level of the players we are facing.”
Duran is yet to start in the Premier League for Villa and has made just one substitute appearance since being taken off at half-time during last month’s Europa Conference League tie with Zrinjski Mostar.
His opportunities in the league have been limited by the form of top scorer Ollie Watkins, though Emery has not ruled out the pair eventually playing together at some point.
“Of course Ollie Watkins is playing with big performances,” he said. “I am not closed to playing both together. In some moments they have but it depends on each one and the players how they are, whether they feel good and comfortable playing together.”
Duran (toe) is a doubt for Sunday’s match, though Alex Moreno could be involved after returning to training this week.
