'Difficult to reject': Aston Villa's Monchi opens up on Jhon Duran sale & Joao Felix deal

The Columbian forward's future has been up in the air for the majority of the window - and he is now set to leave the club for Saudi side Al Nassr after Villa accepted a bid of £75m for the striker.

The final details of the deal are set to be formalised in the coming days - with the money set to help Villa when it comes to profit and sustainability rules.

Some of the money received for Duran will also be reinvested back into the squad, as Villa look to strike deals for Chelsea's Joao Felix and PSG's Marco Asensio.

Monchi, the club's president of football operations has opened up about the deal for Duran and Villa's quest for replacements in an interview with Spanish radio programme El Larguero.

He explained that it would have been 'difficult to reject' the large bid for Duran - and difficult for the striker himself to turn down an offer to head to Saudi Arabia.

He said: “It is an important operation for a player with tremendous potential. 

"But these types of offers, for the club and the player, are difficult to reject. Between fixed and variable amounts, it will be close to 85 million euros. 

"There are a few small details left and for the player it is an incredible economic leap. 

"You are not only a sporting manager, but also a financial manager for a club. These offers are difficult to reject, because they increase his salary fivefold.” 

Villa's attention now turns to replacements, with Felix and Asensio said to be top of the club's wish list.

It isn't the first time they have both been on the club's radar. Last summer Villa were keen to strike a deal for Felix, and Monchi revealed they have been eyeing up the playmaker for some time.

And the same goes for Asensio, who has been a target of Villa since before his arrival at the club.

“The first thing we are going to do with the money we receive from the sale of Durán is to keep a portion of it because of the Fair Play rules, which are very demanding," added Monchi.

"A significant part of the income will go towards that. Then there are names, one of them being João. Emery likes him, because in the three transfer markets I have been in, the fourth with this one, he has always been mentioned and has been a small object of desire for Emery. 

"But it is complicated, and I don’t know if we will be able to be there. 

"He is a player with a lot of quality and Emery has been able to recover players who were considered lost in his history as a coach, and he trusts in João’s talent.

"The first time, Aston Villa were in the Conference and he wanted the Champions League, that’s why he went to Barcelona. Then, in the operation with Gallagher and Atlético he had to enter into negotiations with Chelsea and we couldn’t get in.

“It's a similar case to João Félix, there is also an important love affair. Shortly before my arrival, Aston Villa tried to sign him and came close, but he went to PSG.

"He is a player that Emery has always had in mind because he believes in his quality. Arsenal? I think they are more looking for a striker, because of the injuries they have had. What I do know is that Asensio is not playing.”