PSG have been on the lookout for new players to strengthen their attack throughout the summer transfer window. The French giants have been linked with several No. 9s, according to the latest transfer rumours, including Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko.

Even though they'd already picked up Gonzalo Ramos and Randall Kolo Mouani, the Ligue 1 side were still looking to bring in another striker to strengthen their attack. However, it didn't lead to a deal.

With hindsight, it's easy to say it was the wrong decision. Ramos was injured and Kolo Mouani didn't score as many goals as we'd hoped. So who did PSG want to strengthen their No. 9 position? It was John Duran from Aston Villa.

Eduardo Burgos of Aston Villa Daily says that Duran had offers from Bayern Munich and PSG last summer. The Colombian was very close to leaving, with a move to Germany being one of his favourite options. However, Villa put a stop to the deal, with Unai Emery seeing him as a potential future superstar.

Emery made the right call in keeping the 20-year-old, who has scored six goals in 10 games across all competitions for the Premier League side. The Colombian striker was mostly used as a substitute for Watkins, playing for an average of just 26 minutes per game throughout the season. However, he made some great contributions to the team.

In the first round of the Premier League against West Ham United, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

In the third round of the Premier League against Leicester City, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

In the fourth round of the Premier League against Everton, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

In the fifth round of the Premier League against Wolves, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

In the third round of the League Cup against Wycombe Wanderers, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

In the Champions League against Bayern Munich, he scored the winning goal as a substitute

This player was actually almost signed by Manchester United. In the winter window of 2023, Manchester United was one of the clubs in the running to sign Duran. However, at that time, due to concerns about violating FFP rules, the club didn't make any further progress. The management was also sceptical about players from the MLS, and the deal eventually fell through. Ultimately, in January 2023, Duran made the move from Chicago Fire to Aston Villa in a deal worth 16.6 million euros.

Football Insider says that Real Madrid was also interested in the striker. The transfer team at Real Madrid is pretty surprised by how well he's done this season, so they'll be keeping an eye on him. This is likely to lead to competition for Paris to buy Duran.

In terms of the player's value, Transfermarkt estimates that the striker is worth around 35 million euros, with a contract that runs until 2028. This could be a price worth looking at for a player who could become a top striker in the future.