Aston Villa man in bold transfer admission as Man Utd and Liverpool keep tabs on Wolves star

Jhon Duran has admitted he had his head turned by talk of a move away from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window - but praised the ‘total support’ he received from key figures at the club.

The Colombia international spent the summer representing his country at the Copa America - but returned to Villa amid speculation linking him with a move to the likes of Chelsea and West Ham United. Despite receiving several approaches from potential suitors, Villa resisted any temptation to sell the talented forward and have been rewarded with a stunning return so far this season. Although he has only made three starts in all competitions, Duran has found the net on eight occasions and wrote himself into Villa Park folklore when he grabbed the only goal of the memorable 1-0 home win against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich last month.

Reflecting on a difficult summer ahead of Sunday’s defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, Duran told Sky Sports: "Yes, I think there were rumours. As a young man, the head goes to other places. But there was always total support from Unai, from Monchi, and above all from Damian (Vidagany). The three of them are important pillars in this club. They have achieved many things in a short time, and they have helped me a lot. They were very valuable to me because they kept me grounded, they told me things as they have to be said. So I think that helps, in a way, the mind, and they ... I don't know, the start of the season was about my mind. Now it's different. With experience, we're going to do big things, and we're working for that. Thanks to them, we're here, and I'm happy here.”

Wolves star targeted by new Man Utd boss

Manchester United’s search for a permanent successor to former manager Erik ten Hag has come to a close and incoming boss Ruben Amorim is already said to be formulating his plans for his time in charge at Old Trafford.

The current Sporting CP head coach will officially step into his new role later this month after the Red Devils triggered a clause placed within his contract with the Portuguese giants. With the January transfer window now less than two months away, the new man in charge of the 13-time Premier League champions will be keen to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited from Ten Hag - and GiveMeSport have claimed Wolves wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is on his list of targets. The report claims both United and Liverpool are set to ‘intensify’ their interest in the Algeria international as he enters the final 18 months of his current deal at Molineux in January.

Wolves are described as ‘not in a strong negotiating position’ over a possible extension to his contract and that has led to interested clubs ‘keeping tabs’ on the situation. However, despite his contract situation, the Molineux hierarchy are still believed to have placed a £60m asking price on the forward’s head.