Arsenal made to wait on transfer as Aston Villa 'reject £46m bid' for in-demand forward

pursuit of fresh firepower has hit a snag with Aston Villa rebuffing their hefty £46m bid for Colombian sensation Jhon Duran, reports in Colombia suggest.

Mikel Arteta's side, off the back of two 1-0 losses to Newcastle and Inter Milan, are eager to bolster their attacking options. The Gunners' recent dry spell in front of goal is pushing them to eye reinforcements in the upcoming January transfer window.

Duran, who has found the net eight times this season across all competitions while only starting thrice, inked a new deal at Villa Park recently, tying him to the Midlands outfit until 2030. Chelsea and West Ham are also reportedly showing interest, but it's Arsenal's bid that's been swiftly knocked back, as per Antena 2's insights.

Despite this setback, Duran remains committed to Villa's cause, telling the club's official website: "There's always a new level to reach, and I hope we can achieve it. [My objective is] to keep working, contributing to the team, the club."

The 20 year old forward added, "[I want to] continue being in the top part of the table and, well, that's all. Above all, I want to help the team and then the goals will follow. I'm happy with how we've started, and I hope we continue like this," reports .

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has been singing the praises of Jhon Duran, suggesting he would be an ideal signing for the Gunners. Speaking to bettingexpert.com, Vieira said: "I loved his performance against Bayern Munich. He's the right player for Arsenal – quick, unselfish, solid in the air, technically skilled, and intelligent in his movement."

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Duran will be looking to continue his impressive form this weekend for Unai Emery's side as they face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta will be hoping his Arsenal side can find their scoring boots as they head to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. After these matches, Duran is set to join up with Colombia for their upcoming games against Uruguay and Ecuador.