Jamie Carragher has reignited the debate over Jhon Duran’s Aston Villa future, not that the flames of speculation around the Colombian striker ever really die down.

“I’d sell Jhon Duran,” he said only a few days ago, before arguing that Duran and Ollie Watkins can’t play together, Unai Emery is currently not getting the best out of either player and the Villa boss could use the £60m or £70m from selling Duran to strengthen his squad elsewhere.

“It probably goes against the grain of what most clubs would do because, normally in that situation, you probably sell the older one, Ollie Watkins as you’d probably think, “This guy is going to be here a long time”,” Carragher continued. “But I’d try and get an extra £10m out of him. He looks a great player.

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“When people talk about big squads, sometimes players also need to know they’re playing. I don’t think you’re quite getting the best out of Ollie Watkins, knowing that Jhon Duran is going to come on with 15 to 20 minutes to go every single game.

“But he has to bring him on with 15 to 20 minutes to go because otherwise he’s going to be unhappy.”

“I just think sometimes you can have players who are almost too good in the same position,” he added.

“One player needs to know he is the man and I think that is Ollie Watkins, for me.

“I think you could get good money for Duran and it’s not like Ollie Watkins is finished, he’s still got another three or four years at this level.

“I know Villa fans might say, “No, he’s a great young striker!”, but I just think the dynamic isn’t going to work. They can’t play together. Get your £60 to 70m and go and reinvest it somewhere else.”

Here, our writers give their views on whether Villa should indeed sell Duran...

John Townley

For a few reasons, I’d be surprised to see Jhon Duran wearing claret and blue next season. There’s an intense level of interest in him and Villa could do with another big sale to tend to other areas of their squad which require improvement.

It’s also worth noting that the club do not want to sell key players of Emery’s starting XI, at least not ones which they think are irreplaceable.

That’s why Douglas Luiz was sacrificed last summer. Villa had a replacement in Youri Tielemans already in the building, while Ross Barkley was also signed as a shrewd addition. The likes of Boubacar Kamara, Ezri Konsa or Emi Martinez would be much harder to replace than Duran, who has only started seven games in all competitions this season.

The 21-year-old’s contribution has been significant as he has scored 12 goals, but Emery knows he can spread the huge amount of money a sale would bring to improve other areas of his team. Meanwhile, we’ve known for a long time that he would like to recruit a forward who is capable of linking play and also covering Watkins in case the England international is injured.

Step forward Joao Felix (again). Villa will make their move in the final days of the window if a deal is achievable with Chelsea. The Portuguese was close to joining Villa last summer, but he accepted a move to Chelsea while Conor Gallagher went the other way to Atletico Madrid.

Emery views Felix as a player who could transform his starting XI, but Duran can’t do that. Watkins and Duran can’t find a relationship on the pitch without it damaging the structure of the team.

Of course, any manager in world football would love to have two top forwards in their ranks, but Duran is too good to be kept in reserve. It would be very hard for Villa to resist an offer of around £80m for the forward. Every player has their price, but whether he stays or goes in the final days of the window will be dependent on what offers are tabled.

Brian Dick

Aston Villa have become very adept problem solvers. Faced with ground to make up to comply with Profitability & Sustainability Rules in the summer, their succession planning in signing Youri Tielemans meant Douglas Luiz could be sold. Such detailed planning ahead means their midfield has barely missed a beat.

Other than the short term issues at the back, with Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres out injured and Diego Carlos gone, their most pressing medium to long term conundrum lies up front where the two of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran don’t go into the one striker role Unai Emery has available.

In an ideal world the Spaniard would whisper honeyed words into Duran’s ear and convince him to stick around for another year, tell him he’s close to supplanting Watkins as first choice and convince him all his ambitions, including financial, can be met at Villa Park.

Why? It’s an age thing. Duran is eight years Watkins’ junior and while he might not yet be as consistent as the England international he has more runway ahead of him and his ceiling is higher. Duran’s potential is generational and that’s why clubs like PSG and Barcelona are after him.

Ideally Villa would keep both strikers but if it came to a choice, I’d be investing in Duran’s potential rather than Watkins’ past. There’s only one of the two I’d countenance selling, and he’s not Colombian.

James Pallatt

I disagree with Jamie Carragher. Well, kind of. I get what he means, it is difficult to see how Unai Emery can get the dynamic between Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins to work. The signs so far are not encouraging on that front. Quite the opposite, in fact.

But, and this is where I have a different opinion to Carragher, I would not sell Duran. Not a chance.

There are undoubtedly question marks about the young Colombian, but he has already answered a lot of big ones, for me - the biggest of them all being he has proven he can score on the biggest stages of all for Villa, in the Premier League and Champions League.

It’s more than that, too. He looks made for the biggest stages. The audacity of his goal against Bayern Munich proved that beyond doubt.

This is not to say Watkins isn’t a big-time player. He is. His goalscoring record speaks for itself and he will surely go on and surpass Gabby Agbonlahor as Villa’s most prolific marksman in the Premier League era.

But the truth is, if I had to sell one of Duran or Watkins, it would not be Duran.

Joe Chapman

Honestly? I'd be ensuring that Jhon Duran remains a Villa player for as long as possible. We see it in glimpses, never more so than this season, but Villa have a serious footballer, who has only just turned 21, on their hands.

While Duran is currently out of the starting XI, it's easy to forget that it was only a few weeks ago that he'd cemented himself back in the starting XI. That was a clear show of faith by Unai Emery, who admittedly has an unenviable task in juggling two very talented strikers who both have their eyes firmly on the sole starting spot.

The facts are that Watkins is eight years Duran's senior and, moving forwards, he is a player who could lead the line for Villa for years and years to come. In this day and age, when top centre forwards are at a premium around the globe, players like Duran will always be in demand. Speculation is something that all concerned with Villa will have to live with.

While he mightn't be the most straightforward personality, Emery has proven that he can manage quirky characters like Duran previously. Who better to continue developing while simultaneously getting healthy amounts of first-team football at the most elite level?

Granted, if there is an offer north of £100m in Villa's inbox come deadline day, there is a decision to make, but they certainly shouldn't be held to ransom. Having laid the foundations for Duran in the first instance, Villa ought to reap the rewards of Duran's unquestionable talent in the long run.

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