October 22nd 2024.
Aston Villa, a Premier League club, has set a hefty price tag of £75 million for their young talent Jhon Duran, who has caught the eye of Arsenal. The London club has shown interest in Duran and has approached Villa for a potential transfer in the upcoming January window.
Duran made a name for himself in English football last season with a stunning late double against Liverpool in Villa's home match. This season, he has continued to impress, scoring six goals in 11 appearances across all competitions. However, despite his promising performance, the 20-year-old has only started one game since the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, which was in Villa's Carabao Cup match against Wycombe where he scored the winning goal.
In the recent Champions League victory against Bayern Munich, Duran scored a goal-of-the-season contender, further increasing his value in the eyes of top teams in Europe. Chelsea and West Ham were also rumored to have an interest in the talented forward during the summer transfer window, according to AS Colombia.
Reports claim that both Arsenal and Barcelona have asked about the possibility of signing Duran in the winter, but Villa has made it clear that they will not let go of their prized possession for anything less than €90 million. Despite the growing interest in Duran, Villa's management remains calm and confident as the Colombian is tied to a contract until 2023.
Monchi, Villa's sporting director, revealed that as many as 40 clubs were interested in signing Duran during the summer, but no suitable offers were made. He also mentioned that Duran wanted more playing time, but the club was not willing to sell him without a significant offer. Villa's manager, Unai Emery, has shown faith in the young striker, and the club is determined to keep hold of him.
Arsenal was linked with several big-name strikers during the summer, including Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko, Dusan Vlahovic, Victor Osimhen, and Viktor Gyokeres. However, the transfer window closed without the Gunners securing a recognized center-forward, which drew criticism from fans. But, their trust in Kai Havertz, who has been playing in the No.9 role, has paid off, and they will be looking for him to continue his goal-scoring form in the upcoming matches against Shakhtar Donetsk and Liverpool.
While Gabriel Jesus has failed to live up to expectations so far this season, Raheem Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, has shown his potential with a goal in Arsenal's Carabao Cup win over Bolton. However, he is yet to score in the Premier League. With these options available, Arsenal will be looking to strengthen their attacking force and add to their trophy collection in the coming years.
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