November 1st 2024.
Jhon Duran has been making waves in the football world, with top clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona and West Ham showing interest in him. However, the young striker has recently denied any rumors of a possible move to Arsenal, stating that he is happy at Aston Villa and has full faith in his manager, Unai Emery, to help him achieve great things.
Despite playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins in most of his time at Villa Park, Duran has been catching everyone's attention with his impressive performances this season. This has resulted in numerous speculations about his future, with West Ham even making a bid of £30 million plus a promising teenage midfielder, Lewis Orford, during the summer transfer window. However, Villa remains unfazed by these rumors as Duran has recently extended his contract until 2030, and the club has set a high asking price of £75 million for any potential deal.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Duran addressed the speculations surrounding his move away from Villa and admitted that as a young player, his mind did wander to other places. But he also mentioned the immense support he received from Emery, Monchi (president of football operations), and Damian Vidagany (director of football operations), who have been instrumental in keeping him grounded and focused on his game. He also expressed his gratitude towards them for always being honest and supportive, and believes that with their guidance, he can achieve great things in his career.
Duran's frustrations with his lack of regular playing time came to the surface during Villa's Champions League victory over Bologna when he was substituted in the second half. He was seen punching his seat and kicking the chair in front of him. However, Emery has no issues with his reaction and believes that such moments of love and hate are normal in football. Duran also echoed Emery's sentiments, saying that there will always be disagreements between a young player like himself and a seasoned manager like Emery, but he is grateful for the opportunity to learn from him every day.
The young striker also revealed that he looks up to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his role model, not just for his footballing skills, but also for his personality, confidence, and approach to life. He believes in being different and doing what makes him happy, rather than conforming to what others want him to do. Duran credits his family for his happiness and is determined to continue being true to himself no matter what others say.
One person who has been vocal about his admiration for Duran is former Arsenal captain, Patrick Vieira. He believes that Duran would be a perfect fit for Arsenal, describing him as a quick, unselfish, technically skilled, and intelligent player. Duran recently proved his worth by starting and scoring in Villa's Carabao Cup match against Crystal Palace, and he will be looking to continue his impressive form in their upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur.
With just one loss so far this season, Villa has made a strong start to the Premier League, currently sitting at fourth place in the table. Duran's contributions have been crucial to their success, and the club is determined to hold onto him despite the interest from top clubs. As for Duran, he is focused on the present and is confident that with Emery's guidance, he can achieve great things at Villa.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
