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Yet another MLS teenager has moved to the Premier League

It's been confirmed that Colombian forward Jhon Durán has completed a move to Aston Villa in the Premier League for a potential transfer fee of $22 million. The 19-year-old made 27 appearances during his time with the Chicago Fire, scoring eight goals including a spectacular brace against Toronto FC. 

Durán is now the second teenager to make the switch from the Fire to the Premier League following his former teammate Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, who currently plays for Chelsea. 

Durán stands at just over six feet tall and is immensely quick. He lives on the shoulder of the last defender and thrives on the break as he flies in on goal. His eight goals scored from as many expected goals shows his finishing is clinical, but the Colombian is still young and needs to be polished before he can be a genuine starter in the Premier League. His new boss, Unai Emery, has a history of giving young talent their break, including Bukayo Saka back in 2018. 

His transfer comes on the heels of another high-profile move from Chicago to the Premier League when Slonina swapped the Windy City for Stamford Bridge. The 18-year-old impressed during his time at Soldier Field, keeping 12 clean sheets in 32 appearances but has not yet made the jump to the first team for his new side. Instead, Slonina recently made his first appearance in the Premier League 2, keeping a clean sheet against Wolves U21. 

Many other players have made the switch from MLS to England in recent years like Matt Turner, Ismaël Koné, Daryl Dike and Miguel Almirón, with the latter comfortably being the most successful. The Paraguayan was one of the best players in MLS with Atlanta United before crossing the Atlantic to join Newcastle. This season has been the best of the lot for the 28-year-old, having scored nine goals in 19 Premier League appearances.

 Only time will tell if Durán is a success under Emery, but anyone who has watched him torch defenses across MLS knows he has every chance of making the step up. We can’t wait to hear Villa fans chanting a clever rendition of “Hungry Like the Wolf” about the Colombian international.

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