West Ham’s loan offer for Jhon Duran was rejected as Aston Villa won’t let him leave before signing a replacement, according to The Guardian.

The Hammers were looking to snap up the Colombian international on a temporary basis, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

However, Villa don’t have another backup for Ollie Watkins in their squad. They are trying to recruit Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough and, if the 21-year-old were to arrive before deadline day, it may open up an avenue for Duran’s departure.

The Guardian report that it “remains to be seen” whether West Ham will make a second proposal for Duran ahead of the transfer deadline next week.

Why has Duran been targeted?

The 20-year-old was signed by Villa for £18m from MLS side Chicago Fire a year ago. He has impressed with his pace and power when given opportunities off the bench by manager Unai Emery.

However, Duran has struggled for starting opportunities, and there is a feeling that he could be offloaded this month if the Villans do bring in another striker. In addition to the Irons, Chelsea have also been keeping tabs on his situation.

Who could West Ham sign instead of Duran?

It has been suggested by multiple sources that manager David Moyes would be keen on recruiting Chelsea forward Armando Broja but club finances may make any deal difficult this month.

West Ham are operating with a limited budget, hence the loan bid for Duran, so the fact that Chelsea want to sell Broja in order to raise funds for their own transfer dealings complicates matters.

Depending on which reports you read, the Blues will look to hold out for between £35m and £50m for the Albanian international. There is no chance that the Hammers would consider paying that much for the player.