Aston Villa boss Unai Emery (right) is battling to keep Ollie Watkins (left) and Jhon Duran (Image: Getty)
could be helpless to prevent taking off the market due to another deal which is completely out of their hands.
Villa’s resolve is being tested by serious interest in two of their star strikers, with Watkins in the Gunners’ crosshairs and Jhon Duran the subject of a big-money proposal from the . Manager will almost certainly block one of his two top scorers leaving in the same transfer window.
And will naturally hope Duran stays at Villa Park, which would boost their chances of landing Watkins.
They have therefore been dealt a serious blow, with reporting that Al-Nassr are ‘on the verge’ of a verbal agreement for Duran. A package worth just shy of £63million has reportedly been tabled, which has seemingly convinced Villa to play ball.
And if the move goes through, ‘s chances of securing Watkins may go up in smoke. The one sign of encouragement for Emirates chiefs is Al-Nassr’s ongoing pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface.
Everything is in place for the Saudi side to sign the Nigerian, but only one of Boniface or Duran will move to the Middle East.
Al-Nassr are reportedly on the verge of agreeing a £63m deal for Jhon Duran (Image: Getty)
Watkins and Duran have had to share the striker role under Emery this season. The bulk of the minutes have gone to Watkins, who has rewarded his manager with 10 goals. But Duran has racked up seven at a far more prolific rate.
reportedly sent a opening bid for Watkins, which was turned down by Villa. A second bid is believed to be in the pipeline, although it is understood that the West Midlands outfit are of the Gunners’ approach.
Their big-money offer for Watkins was lodged hours before Villa’s vital Champions League clash with Celtic. With speculation swirling around the 29-year-old and his deputy, Duran, Emery may have a tough job convincing them to concentrate on the matter at hand.
have Champions League commitments of their own to attend to, with ‘s side taking on Girona in Spain. The Gunners boss could be forgiven for keeping one eye on transfer developments during the match, with his players virtually guaranteed to be in the knockout rounds regardless of the result.