Surprise Aston Villa transfer ‘enquiry’ made as £17.7m forward lined up for January move
Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive amid claims that West Ham, Chelsea and AC Milan are interested in Villans' striker Jhon Duran
by Isaac Seelochan, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/isaac-seelochan/ · Birmingham LiveWest Ham have 'enquired' about Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, according to reports.
Recent reports have claimed that Villa are 'open' to letting Duran leave in the current window on an initial loan deal amid interest from Chelsea and AC Milan if they were able to find a suitable replacement. The report went on to claim that Duran and Emery have not always 'seen eye to eye' after frustrations emerged from the player about being substituted early in games when given an opportunity.
Emery has since addressed the reports of an exit for Duran, where he emphasised his importance within the squad. "We need experiences and he is here having experiences with us," he said. "We need a second striker because we have to try to be strong in our squad with two players per position.
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"It is Watkins and Jhon Duran. I am working with him a lot, his commitment is progressively better. When we talked about the decision to sign him one year ago, the process we are doing with him is it."
And now SunSport claim that West Ham have enquired about a potential deal for Duran with the Hammers said to be 'desperate' for a new striker in the January transfer window. The report also claims that the 20-year-old is 'keen to explore other options' amid a lack of game time but that Villa will not do business unless there is a 'big offer' rather than a loan.
When previously asked about the transfer talk, Duran said: “I am not aware of interests in AC Milan or Chelsea. They are giant clubs, but I have no knowledge of anything. As a child, you dream of playing there.”
He added: "I have my head in Aston Villa. I’m not really interested in those things, I mainly stay away from social media [and noise] and focus on family."