Liverpool sent Aston Villa transfer instruction as Manchester City performance noted
One of Aston Villa's main men has been mentioned as a potential transfer target for league leaders Liverpool after he helped the Villans to an impressive 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
Unai Emery's men put in an outstanding performance to see off the underwhelming reigning champions, with striker Jhon Durán opening the scoring after just 16 minutes. The Colombian has recently displaced England international Ollie Watkins from the starting 11 after an eye-catching start to the season, scoring 12 goals despite only starting six matches in all competitions. After four goals as a substitute in the opening five Premier League games, the 21-year-old is shrugging off his 'super-sub' label as he adds to impressive goal catalogue and makes his name known.
Villa now sit sixth in the league following their victory over the Citizens, overtaking Pep Guardiola's side in the process. They are just three points off fourth in their pursuit of Champions League qualification in the second season running but look out of any sort of title race with Liverpool eleven points clear of Emery's team.
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The Reds have established themselves as the clear favourites for the title this season with their consistently brilliant performances - they beat Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 on last time out - and are four points clear of second-placed Chelsea with a game in hand. Talisman Mohamed Salah has been the main source of goals so far, but it has not prevented his side from being linked with more attacking fire power.
Arne Slot's team has operated without the classic number nine profile leading the line this season, with the likes of Luis Díaz, who is typically a winger, playing centrally. The inconsistent form of £64 million pound man Darwin Núñez has meant that Liverpool may look for a more recognised striker in the upcoming transfer windows.
Durán has been a name mentioned, former Reds midfielder Didi Hamann urging them to look no further than the Colombia international.
"Jhon Durán is a brilliant player and the way he plays, it always helps having a player with a physical presence up front," the German explained.
"He created space up front and made a huge impact for Villa [against City] – I certainly think Liverpool need to keep an eye on him."
Prior to this season, Durán almost left Villa Park in the summer with a short transfer saga with West Ham United resulting in Villa not considering their bids high enough.
The centre forward signed a new long-term contract in October after his flying start to the campaign, tying him down until 2030.
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