Aston Villa boss sets firm stance over former Chelsea target as Wolves 'identify' Neto replacement

Unai Emery has admitted he understands why Jhon Duran felt a summer move away from Aston Villa was ‘his best option’ - but insisted the Colombia international remains part of his plans for the future.

The young forward joined Villa in a £12m deal during last year’s January transfer window and has gone on to score eight goals in 49 appearances in all competitions. However, after playing a support role to Ollie Watkins for the vast majority of his time with the club, there were suggestions Duran would be keen to secure a move away from Villa Park during the summer transfer window.

Chelsea were reportedly keen on a move for the former Chicago Fire star throughout the close-season but it is West Ham United that are said to have made a firm move for Duran after making an offer that failed to meet Villa’s demands for the youngster. There were suggestions Duran told Villa he wished to leave this summer rather than facing another season working as an understudy to England star Watkins - but Emery has insisted the forward will get his chance during the new season and described his conduct as ‘youngster’s mistakes’.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s visit to the London Stadium, he said: "He (Duran) is training with us and training well, he came back last week with good spirit and my idea is until he is here with us, I am going to use him. I believe in his potential, he helped us last year in some moments being a very important player. Of course, he is young and making mistakes sometimes. I want to try to teach him as well as a person, as I was last year and will this year if he needs it. As a player and a professional, taking responsibility himself and trying to create a mentality here, he is one of the players I have to be close to in supporting him. The most important thing is he is ready and available and he is with us, with our shirt.

“He is young and he has a big potential to exploit. He will need time and he will need to be patient. Sometimes he wasn't being patient and he wants everything so quick. To be here fighting with Watkins for one position and seeing how successful Watkins' career is here, it's not easy. He was telling us he was thinking his best option was to leave so he could play more and more for another club and fulfil his potential, I can understand it.”

Wolves make move for Neto replacement

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to make a move for Ajax star Carlos Forbs as they look to replace Portugal international Pedro Neto.

The former Lazio forward brought an end to his five-year spell with the club last weekend after scoring 14 goals and providing 24 assists in 135 appearances for the Molineux club. Neto was said to be on the radar of a number of clubs during the summer transfer window but it was Chelsea that won the race for his services after they had a £54m offer accepted earlier this month.

With thoughts now turning towards his replacement, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed Wolves have identified Ajax winger Forbs as the man they want and believe the Portugal Under-21 international can ‘be a fantastic signing for the present and future’.

He said: "Yeah, talking is not easy, because he's an important player for Ajax, but the player they wanted, as soon as they got their official proposal from Chelsea for Pedro Neto, was and is Carlos Forbs. They believe that he has huge, huge potential, and that he can be a fantastic signing for the present and the future."