Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
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Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran has played down speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal, affirming his happiness at Villa Park. The 20-year-old Colombian has been in impressive form this season, despite primarily serving as a backup to England international Ollie Watkins.
Duran has made just four starts across all competitions but has netted a remarkable 10 goals, including a vital strike in Villa’s 3-2 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday night. The win bolstered Villa’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.
Speaking after the match, Duran expressed his satisfaction with his role at the club. “I’m just happy to be here. I actually love the competition I have going with Ollie Watkins,” he told Villa’s official website. “When it’s my turn, I will step up, and hopefully I can score and help the team.”
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The young striker also praised Villa’s collective effort against Leipzig. “We worked hard as a team, and, well, that’s my job, to score,” he said. “The main thing is three points away from home, and that’s what we got today. We’re so happy to be where we are in the standings right now. We’ve got to win the next game, and we’re almost through, so we’re delighted about that.”
Arsenal target Jhon Duran
Arsenal target Jhon Duran (Image credit: Getty Images)
Duran’s stellar performances have fuelled rumours of interest from Arsenal, with reports from Colombia in October suggesting the Gunners had approached Villa regarding a winter move for the former Chicago Fire star. During the summer, West Ham reportedly made a £30 million bid, including midfielder Lewis Orford, which Villa rejected.
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Despite the interest, Villa have made their stance clear. The club has placed a £75 million valuation on Duran and recently extended his contract until 2030. Villa’s sporting director Monchi confirmed that numerous clubs had expressed interest in Duran during the transfer window but failed to meet the club’s asking price.
“We have two very strong strikers, him and Watkins,” Monchi told Sky Italia. “Duran wanted to play more minutes, and we needed to sell a player due to FFP, but without an important offer, we were convinced he would stay here. Emery has a lot of faith in him: some offers have arrived, there were meetings, but the amount we asked for did not arrive.”
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