West Ham United have not lost hope of luring Jhon Duran to the London Stadium as the Aston Villa star is on course to agitate for a summer switch if his current employers refuse to lower their price tag ahead of the transfer window slamming shut, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The Hammers’ hierarchy have not been afraid to back new head coach Julen Lopetegui with funds since being appointed as Europa Conference League-winning boss David Moyes’ successor, with Max Kilman completing the £40million switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers to seal a reunion with the Spanish tactician.
Luis Guilherme has also arrived in a £25million deal from Palmeiras, while Wes Foderingham made the move to the capital after his Sheffield United contract expired, but technical director Tim Steidten has been tasked with bringing in further reinforcements ahead of the August 30 deadline.
Duran Poised to Push for Hammers Switch
Colombia international keen to avoid being priced out of transfer
Duran has refused to rule out the possibility of pushing for a switch to West Ham if his admirers are left frustrated by another bid being rejected by Villa, according to GMS sources, as he is determined to ensure that he is not priced out of a move when he has been forced to contend with limited game time.
The striker found the back of the net five times despite being limited to just three top flight starts last term, with Ollie Watkins making himself one of the first names on the team sheet during the Villans’ run to Champions League qualification, and he remains desperate to be handed more action.
GMS sources have been informed that Duran will be even more eager to join West Ham if Villa snub another proposal which falls short of their demands as he is keen to head to the London Stadium, where he would provide Michail Antonio with stiff competition for a regular starting berth.
Jhon Duran’s statistical averages per 90 minutes during the 2023/24 domestic campaign compared to Michail Antonio | ||
|---|---|---|
Jhon Duran | Michail Antonio | |
Percentage of aerial duels won | 62.5 | 38.4 |
Shots | 3.77 | 1.60 |
Shots on target | 1.32 | 0.74 |
Goals | 0.94 | 0.32 |
Key passes | 0.75 | 0.43 |
Statistics correct as of 21/07/2024 | ||
The Colombia international has a £40million price tag after Chelsea have also been among his admirers, but interested parties have stopped short of lodging a bid which matches that figure despite being aware that his current employers are open to cashing in as the transfer deadline edges closer.
Duran still has four years remaining on his Villa Park contract, which allows him to pocket £30,000-per-week, resulting in the Midlands outfit being under no pressure to drop their financial expectations even though it is clear that he would welcome a fresh challenge ahead of the 2024/25 campaign getting underway.
Lopetegui Remains Eager to Land Duran
East Londoners mulling over making fresh bid for striker
GMS sources have learned that West Ham are seriously considering whether to head back to the negotiating table with a fresh bid in an attempt to find a compromise with Villa as Lopetegui remains keen on landing Duran as he continues looking to make adjustments to the squad he inherited from Moyes.
The Hammers’ most recent effort to reach an agreement was worth £35million and included a 10 per cent sell-on clause, but it was not enough to force their domestic rivals to cash in despite the 20-year-old former Chicago Fire marksman agreeing personal terms ahead of a possible move to the capital.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth recently told GMS that West Ham are still monitoring Duran even though their advances have been snubbed, and an eventual deal is a possibility after it has been made clear that Watkins will remain Villa head coach Unai Emery’s first-choice centre forward.
Although GMS sources understand that the east Londoners have been looking into the possibility of recruiting alternative attacking targets, that is co-owner David Sullivan’s style in the transfer market as he likes to work on multiple deals at the same time in a bid to find the best value option, and a deal for Duran is not dead in the water.
All statistics courtesy of FBref and Transfermarkt