West Ham have made Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran a “top target”, according to ExWHUEmployee.
Speaking on the West Ham Way podcast (quotes via their website), Ex said that the Hammers are “set to start negotiations” with Villa about a potential transfer:
“Duran is a top target and followed up with this on the podcast yesterday. We now believe he is emerging as the key target for the club… Duran is a Colombian international which is obviously a Spanish-speaking country and the new management team believe they can help develop the player. West Ham hope that the figure should be within our price range and are set to start negotiations.”
The 20-year-old is likely to cost in excess of £40m based on previous bids for the player.
Chelsea opted against signing Duran earlier this summer
West Ham’s London rivals were locked in talks with Villa, with reports suggesting that a £42m fee was agreed between the two clubs. However, the deal never materialised.
It is believed that Chelsea were the ones who decided against going ahead with the transfer and they have since focused their attention on other forwards.
West Ham have finally settled on a striker
It’s no secret that technical director Tim Steidten has been scouring the market for a new No.9. The likes of Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri, Villarreal’s Alexander Sorloth, Lille’s Jonathan David and Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion have all been considered, among others.
Duran is one of the few, though, that already has Premier League experience, having moved to Villa from MLS side Chicago Fire during the 2023 January transfer window.
However, the Colombian has had to play second fiddle to Ollie Watkins and that has been a cause of frustration for him. He will likely be keen to make the switch to the London Stadium in order to get regular first-team football.
