Guardiola is my good friend but the player has choosen to join Arsenal and I can’t force him”: Manager responds to Man city eye-watering bid to hijack Arsenal transfer despite player have agreed to join Arteta’s side by January

Guardiola is a close friend of mine, but the player has decided to join Arsenal, and I cannot influence his choice,” the manager stated in response to Manchester City’s significant bid to disrupt Arsenal’s transfer plans, despite the player already agreeing to join Arteta’s side by January.

Arsenal is reportedly interested in signing Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran next year, according to the Spanish outlet Fichajes.

After joining Villa Park at the start of last year, the Colombian took some time to adapt but has had an impressive start to this season. Unai Emery has mostly used him as a rotational player so far, yet he has netted seven goals in just two starts across all competitions, making him the top scorer for Villa this season, ahead of Ollie Watkins.

Fichajes notes that Arsenal, impressed by the 20-year-old’s recent performances, is increasingly keen on securing his signature next year to bolster their attack. Duran recently signed a contract extension with Aston Villa until 2030, but this hasn’t deterred Arsenal’s interest. Emery’s side is in a strong position to demand a hefty fee and has set a substantial price tag of £75 million (€90 million) for him.

While Barcelona is also interested in Duran, their lack of financial resources gives Arsenal a slight advantage in this pursuit.

Currently, Arsenal has Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as their main center-forward options after selling Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace over the summer. Havertz has been in great form lately and has become the preferred striker for the North London club. However, Jesus has struggled with injuries in recent years, making it hard for him to perform at his best.

Thus, acquiring a new prolific goal-scorer would be a wise move to strengthen the attack. Duran is a talented player who is beginning to demonstrate his potential. If he can maintain high performance throughout the season, he could be a valuable addition to Arsenal’s frontline.

It will be intriguing to see if Arsenal makes a formal approach to sign the South American player ahead of the next season.