Arsenal fans have a lot to say about Jhon Duran amid transfer links

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Arsenal have made contact with Aston Villa about the prospect of signing striker Jhon Duran, prompting divisive discourse online.

The Gunners are eager to strengthen their forward options before the January transfer window slams shut on 3rd February.

Matheus Cunha has been linked with Arsenal, while Benjamin Sesko is also widely understood to be one of the North London club’s primary targets.

However, a new option has emerged, with Fabrizio Romano revealing on Tuesday morning that Duran is of interest to Arsenal.

It’s understood that Villa may be tempted by an offer in the region of £80 million, as they accept that they will struggle to keep hold of both the Colombian and Ollie Watkins.

Arsenal fans are divided about potential Jhon Duran signing

Kai Havertz has been lamented by fans for some of his recent performances, sparking calls for the Gunners to add a striker to Mikel Arteta’s squad immediately.

However, the club are said to be cautious about not scuppering summer plans by making a rash decision in the remainder of this window.

Duran has now arrived into the picture as a target, which hasn’t been universally well received by Arsenal fans.

The 21-year-old has scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Villans this season, although one supporter was quick to point out that he doesn’t believe this form to be sustainable.

Posting on X, they wrote: “I don’t think Jhon Duran (or any other high-profile striker) solves the core issue for AFC. He’s averaging 4.18 PL shots/90 since joining AVFC.

“The most any Arsenal player has under Arteta is Nketiah’s 3.39 in ’22/23. Emery’s system is a CF opportunity funnel much more so than Arteta’s.

“On 58 shots in the PL, Duran has 12 goals on 7.47 npxG and 8.22 xGOT. That’s so unsustainable it shouldn’t even need addressing.”

However, another fan analyst argued that Duran’s exceptional ball-striking capabilities means he’ll keep scoring.

“I’ll say this on Durán… I think his ball striking prowess distracts from how good other aspects of his game are,” they wrote.

“It’s not just the shot itself, but how quickly he executes the shots suits any system, whether on transitions or vs a stubborn low block.”

Meanwhile, other fans took more simple approaches.

One questioned the validity of the idea that Arsenal would bow to Villa’s demands, posting: “Hello how much is Jhon Duran? £85m. Goodbye.”

Another added: “Villa want 80m for Duran and we’re thinking Isak can move at 100…. delusion at its finest from the Arsenal.”

Others were excited by the links, with one supporter writing: “When someone mentions ‘Jhon Duran to Arsenal’, I’m instantly gassed. Imagine us breaking the bank on this hitman..”

Another added: “Arsenal paid 65m for Havertz and our fans are saying no to Duran. For me he will repay the transfer fee.”

• READ MORE: Jamie Carragher tells Arsenal to snub move for £65m star and sign ‘unbelievable’ player instead

Jhon Duran’s statistics compared to Kai Havertz

While Duran’s raw numbers are impressive, it’s always worth looking at the underlying data to get a better picture about his ability.

He may well have hit a purple patch in regard to finishing this season, although his shot volume and expected goals per 90 tally indicate that he certainly has the capacity to continue to find the back of the net at a rapid rate.

The Colombia international takes almost two shots more per game than Havertz, while accumulating 0.23 more xG – this will lead to a lot more goals over time.

Whether Duran can do the off-the-ball work and facilitation of build-up that Havertz provides remains to be seen, although the numbers currently suggest the transfer target is your archetypal poacher.