Jhon Duran has been in sensational form for Aston Villa(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Arsenal pushed to complete incredible Jhon Duran transfer as shock £59m exit statement made

01 Nov 2024, 04:00 by Tom Coley · football.london

The Arsenal results train goes on. Regardless of injuries, noise, or criticism, Mikel Arteta continues to churn out results. It is the sort of thing needed to compete against Manchester City.

Not only do Arsenal remain within touch of Liverpool and Pep Guardiola, they are looking primed to move forward in the Champions League as well as dispatching of lower league opposition when asked in the Carabao Cup. The feeling remains that Arsenal are far from in full pomp just yet, though.

This is a good thing, generally. With fitness issues making regular selections a struggle, the hope is that Arteta can groove out the performances to match results in the coming months.

Here, football.london has the latest from around the Emirates Stadium.

Duran transfer urge

Arsenal have been told to make a play for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran after his incredible start to the season. Following a summer of intense transfer speculation - with both Chelsea and West Ham going close to signing him - Duran already has eight goals this season despite starting just two games in all competitions.

Off the back of his immense scoring spree, Villa tied the Columbian down to a long-term contract. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira has suggested that he is the ideal striker for Arteta to bring in, though.

"I loved his performance against Bayern Munich,’ Vieira told bettingexpert.com. "He’s the right player for Arsenal – quick, unselfish, solid in the air, technically skilled, and intelligent in his movement."

The former Crystal Palace manager added: "The question is whether Arsenal can reach their goals with a genuine goalscorer or a false No.9. Havertz has performed well since the season’s start and has the potential to fill that role. But as Manchester City have shown, having a pure striker like Haaland makes winning games easier."

football.london says: Look, maybe if Arsenal had gone for Duran over the summer and picked him as their rotation/backup centre forward this might have worked, but now it's out of the picture. He was going to cost £35million for a tiny sample size of top-level football, no matter how impressive, so that can be at least doubled now.

Duran won't be happy to sit with just substitute appearances forever, yet he is so effective from the bench that right now it is all about improving and working towards a well-rounded game. Unai Emery has shown he can do that.

Arsenal could have been dynamite if they had added Duran before, though, not that there was any indication at all that they were looking his way. He has similarities to Benjamin Sesko, which is the interesting point, as someone raw, tall, quick, and with a lethal shot, maybe Duran would have been a good alternative.

Once the Sesko dream died - he has more of a touch and play to his game currently - Arsenal didn't really go back in for another striker. Duran was right there and available. It would have been a lot of fun and a true maverick game-changer for Arteta to turn to.

Tavares price demand booms

Despite signing Nuno Tavares for around £5million in 2021 and struggles from the left-back to ever assert himself, Arsenal have seen the player's stock rise significantly. Having gone out on loan - a third in as many seasons - to Lazio, Tavares is now one of the most in-form defenders in Europe.

With eight assists in as many games for Marco Baroni's side, who sit fifth in Serie A, in front of Milan, Roma, and Juventus, Tavares has impressed president Claudio Lotito. So much so, Arsenal have been told there's no chance of buying him back in the summer.

"I won’t sell Tavares, not even for €70million (£59m)," Lotito said. "We have beaten off strong competition from the big clubs to sign the left-back in the summer."

Arsenal agreed a loan with an obligation to buy for the 24-year-old. He will become a Lazio player permanently in July next year.

football.london says: It is tempting to say that Arsenal missed the trick here and have shot themselves in the foot. That isn't really true at all, though. A mixture of factors including injuries and poor individual plus team form meant Tavares never made it at the Emirates Stadium.

Whilst he has been away, Arteta has been mounting title challenges and now has depth at left-back with a variety of different stylistic choices. Jurrien Timber, for example, has been exceptional when fit, and Riccardo Calafiori has impressed.

The potential to get more for Tavares and to have made some serious money from him will sting anyway. Especially if he makes a move to a European powerhouse, it would be hard to stomach. That doesn't mean Arsenal made the wrong call.

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