Aston Villa to Consider Rory Wilson, 19, Following Duran’s Transfer

Aston Villa boasts a strong array of attacking players. Unai Emery has numerous options upfront, further strengthened by January signings. Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, who joined in January, have quickly made an impact at Villa Park.

Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, has contributed three assists in seven appearances. Asensio, temporarily with Villa Park from Paris Saint-Germain, has already scored five goals.

Villa also signed Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund in January, adding to an attack that already features Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey, and Jacob Ramsey.

However, Aston Villa did lose forward Jhon Duran during the winter transfer window.

Jhon Duran’s Time at Aston Villa

Aston Villa accepted an offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr for Duran in January. He joined Cristiano Ronaldo’s team for a fee potentially reaching £71m. Having signed him for £18m two years prior, this was a profitable deal for Villa.

Duran’s time at Villa was marked by impressive performances. He scored 20 goals in 78 appearances, playing a total of 2272 minutes, equivalent to roughly 25 full matches, demonstrating a high goalscoring rate.

The Colombian forward was known for scoring spectacular goals for Aston Villa, often attempting shots from distance, including a memorable winning goal against Everton in a 3-2 comeback victory.

Losing the 21-year-old Duran was a setback, especially considering his goal contribution in limited playtime. However, Villa has brought in Rashford and Malen as replacements.

Besides these January acquisitions, the solution to replacing Duran might already be within the club’s youth ranks.

Rory Wilson: An Academy Prospect to Replace Duran

Aston Villa’s academy has a strong track record of producing top talent. Jack Grealish is perhaps the most prominent example, and more recently, players like Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka have also emerged from the academy.

Scottish striker Rory Wilson could be the next academy graduate to break into the first team. Described as a “star in the making” by scout Antonio Mango, the former Rangers youth player has stood out for Aston Villa’s youth teams.

In his time at Aston Villa, Wilson has played 53 games and scored 36 goals. This includes 27 goals and two assists in 25 games for the under-18s, averaging over a goal per game.

Wilson’s playing time this season has been limited. He began the 2024/25 season strongly with two goals and one assist in four matches but hasn’t played since September.

While an early injury is noted, his absence is reportedly due to a contract dispute, with reports suggesting he wasTraining alone due to not signing a new contract.

Aston Villa faces a challenge to retain the promising young striker. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, clubs like Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Feyenoord have reportedly shown interest in signing him.

Aston Villa should avoid a repeat of the Duran situation. Wilson could be Duran’s long-term successor, and giving him first-team opportunities might convince him to extend his stay at Villa Park.

Wilson is undoubtedly a talented player, and if Aston Villa can secure his future, they could possess one of Europe’s most exciting young strikers.