Paris St Germain believe they can persuade Aston Villa to sell Jhon Duran this summer or even as early as this month.

The Colombian has been one of the stars of Villa’s season, scoring 12 goals, but the French champions are cautiously optimistic he is within reach, even though any deal would prove extremely complicated in the middle of the season. 

PSG are desperate for a centre-forward and Duran is high on their list of targets.

Duran signed a new contract until 2030, including a huge pay rise, only last October and it seems inconceivable Villa would sell him without lining up a replacement.

They would also demand a price that would put Duran behind only Jack Grealish, who joined Manchester City for £100m in 2021, in the club’s list of record sales.

Villa want to sign Donyell Malan from Borussia Dortmund but the Dutchman is not an orthodox centre-forward, operating instead in a number of roles across the front line. 

PSG are trying to move on forward Randal Kolo Muani and would be keen to include the France internationals in any discussions for Duran, 21.

Villa were prepared to sell Duran in each of the last two windows, but he has since become a central figure for boss Unai Emery. Duran replaced Ollie Watkins as Villa’s first-choice No9 before he was sent off at Newcastle on Boxing Day, which brought a three-match ban.

But Villa also have to be mindful of Premier League spending rules and they would make a huge profit on Duran, who they bought for about £15million two years ago. Selling Duran before June 30 would have a significantly positive impact on Villa’s profitability and sustainability (PSR) calculations as they try to stay on the right side of the line.

Meanwhile, Villa transfer chief Monchi attended the La Liga clash between Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo, with Celta defender Oscar Mingueza on Villa’s radar. The former Barcelona player has a release clause of about £17m and earns a little more than £20,000 a week.