Aston Villa 'say no' to Arsenal bid for Jhon Duran as Villans set asking price in excess of £70m

The Colombia international was wanted by Chelsea earlier this summer but the forward stayed put at Villa Park and that decision has proven to be a shrewd one. Off the back of his strong goalscoring form, Colombian publication Antena 2 claims Villa 'said no' to a €55 million (£45.6m) offer from Arsenal for the 20-year-old. The report adds the Villans want €85m (£70.5m) for his services.

Duran has scored eight goals in 16 matches in all competitions this season and has become a key player for Unai Emery's side. He signed a new deal until 2030 last month and if his form continues, a potential suitor may try and bid £70m or so to secure his signature. For the time being, Duran will be vital towards Villa's success this season.

According to AS in Colombia, Arsenal and Barcelona contacted Villa in October to ask about the conditions needed to sign Duran during the January transfer window. They also reportedly rejected multiple bids for the Colombian over the summer.

Aside from transfer speculation, Duran is likely to feature in Villa's crunch clash with Premier League table-toppers Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday night.