Joao Felix: Chelsea forward a confirmed transfer target for Premier League rivals | OneFootball

Aston Villa sporting director Monchi has confirmed his club's long-standing interest in Chelsea forward Joao Felix, while also naming Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Asensio as another target this month.

Monchi did a tour of Spanish late-night radio stations on Thursday, stoking the flames of the transfer rumour mill as the January window hurtles towards its conclusion on Monday evening. Villa have been at the epicentre of several different stories, fielding multiple bids from Arsenal for Ollie Watkins while offloading Jhon Duran to Al Nassr.

The Spanish transfer chief revealed that the deal for Duran would be worth up to €85m (£71m).

"The first thing we are going to do with the money we receive from the sale of Duran is to keep a portion of it due to the [Financial] Fair Play rules, which are very demanding," Monchi told El Larguero. "A significant part of the income will go to that.

"Then there are names," Monchi continued, pivoting towards Villa's transfer targets, "one of them is Joao. [Manager Unai] Emery likes him, because in the three 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.

Joao Felix has made just three Premier League starts for Chelsea this season / Visionhaus/GettyImages

"He is a player with a lot of quality and Emery in his history as a coach has been able to recover players who were given up for lost, and he trusts in Joao's talent. The first time, Aston Villa was in the Conference and he wanted the Champions League, that is why he went to Barcelona. Then, in the operation with [Conor] Gallagher and Atletico [Madrid], he had to enter into negotiations with Chelsea and we couldn't get in."

Monchi also addressed rumours linking Villa with Asensio. "It's a similar case to that of Joao Felix, there is also an important love affair. A little before my arrival, Aston Villa tried to sign him and they were close, but he went to PSG. He is always a player that Emery has had in mind because he believes in his quality."

"Neither of them are easy," Monchi said in a separate interview on El Partidazo de COPE, "because in terms of salary and cost they are not easy.

"If there is a coach in world football who recovers players, it is Unai Emery. He has been able to recover talents. Joao Felix has talent, and it is just a matter of finding the right environment to bring out his best version. And Unai does that very, very well."

Chelsea are yet to make a single senior signing this month. While they have been linked with a new goalkeeper and recalled centre-back Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell at Crystal Palace, the Blues have also been touted as potential suitors for Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel. If Felix was to leave Chelsea in search for more first-team minutes this month, there would be a spot in the frontline for the Frenchman.