Chicago Fire forward Jhon Duran could be about to be involved in a transfer tug-of-war between Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Sun report that the two Premier League giants are on a collision course in their respective pursuits of the teenage striker, with his agent and family members in England recently as they continue to hold talks with clubs in the Premier League and La Liga.
Duran’s career so far
Duran arrived in Chicago in January this year after he starred for Colombian side Envigado, scoring nine goals with four assists in 46 appearances.
For the Chicago Fire this season, he found the back of the net eight times and registered six assists in 28 games. He also has two caps for Colombia’s national team, which came in friendlies against Guatemala and Mexico, but unfortunately, his nation failed to qualify for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.
However, he is just 18 years old and moving to Liverpool or Manchester United would be a massive step up.
The Fire sold goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, who is the same age as Duran, to Chelsea last summer and loaned him back so he could complete the MLS season.
Chicago finished 12th in the Eastern Conference this year, nine points off the playoffs. Their top talent may be looking for another challenge.
Would Man Utd and Liverpool be a good fit?
Duran is a centre-forward, so would have big competition at both Manchester United and Liverpool for a starting place. United currently has Marcus Rashford as their main striker, while Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped for their last game against Chelsea after refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ronaldo’s time at the club looks to be coming to an end, but the Red Devils also have Anthony Martial and Anthony Elanga as striking options.
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Liverpool also has strength in depth when it comes to the centre-forward position. Darwin Nunez has just started hitting a bit of form after signing for the club for $78m in the summer.
Jurgen Klopp’s side also has Roberto Firmino as an out-and-out striker, while Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota are predominantly wingers but can also play as centre-forwards.
Neither United nor Liverpool have had the best starts to the season by their standards. Eric ten Hag’s side is in sixth place whilst Klopp’s team are eighth after losing to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
For advice, Duran would be wise to speak to Chicago’s designated player Xherdan Shaqiri, a former Liverpool player.
It would be a tough call for Duran if he is to choose between the two sides, as both have talented players in his position. He is still very young, and learning from these players would be great for him even if he does not get first-team action straight away.
As he is just 18 he will likely be sent on loan to gain experience, but moving to one of the top sides in the Premier League would be a step in the right direction for his career.