The January transfer window is only a matter of days away from opening and Aston Villa could be busy throughout the month in order to improve their squad.

It will be Unai Emery's first chance to shape his side by bringing in his own players and the Spaniard may want to make an addition or two to give his side a lift heading into the second half of the campaign.

The club have already been linked with a number of players and it will be interesting to see which positions the former Villarreal boss deems in need of improvement.

Italian outlet Calciomercato recently reported that Villa are one of the clubs eyeing up a swoop to sign Chicago Fire centre-forward Jhon Duran next month, which indicates that the head coach wants to add to his attacking options.

They claimed that the Villans have submitted an offer to sign the attacker but that they are currently behind Portuguese giants Benfica, who have made a bid of €15m (£13m) for him, in the race for the gem's signature.

Emery could land the heir to Ollie Watkins' place in the team by beating the Liga Portugal side to this signing as the talented Colombian is a promising young striker.

The Chicago Fire marksman, who turned 19 earlier this month, has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 14 MLS starts this year, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.91.

He joined the MLS team at the start of 2022 after plundering nine goals in 46 senior appearances for Envigado FC in his home country and has caught the eye with his performances for the Fire.

Earlier this year, talent scout Jacek Kulig described the teenager as a "complete" and "powerful" striker who can be used as a counter-attacking "weapon", whilst also praising his quality in the air.

Watkins, meanwhile, has been hailed for his well-rounded attacking play, with his pace on the counter and his aerial ability - as evidenced by his recent goal against Liverpool - being two of his biggest strengths.

This suggests that both players are similar in style and, therefore, Duran could be the long-term successor to the Englishman's place in the team if the club are able to snap him up.

At the age of 19, the Colombian striker could be a signing for the future and a player Emery is able to work with on the training pitch, whilst allowing him to learn from the likes of Danny Ings and Watkins, before making him a key player further down the line.

Duran's form in the MLS is promising and Villa must now take a punt on the teenager in January in the hope that he is able to fulfil his potential in the Premier League and become their starting number nine for many years to come.