According to The Standard, West Ham are still trying to pushing through a deal for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran this summer.
The Hammers are taking their summer recruitment drive seriously since the arrival of Julen Lopetegui and they have no intentions of slowing down in the final weeks before the Premier League returns.
Max Kilman, Luis Guilherme and Wes Foderingham are the three new additions hoping to become a regular feature at the East London club next season and making an instant impact will be essential to get West Ham back on track after failing to qualify for European football.
A ninth-place finish in the Premier League and a disappointing campaign in Europe became the catalyst in David Moyes’ exit from the club this summer, and now former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lopetegui will be tasked with the challenging pursuit for a more positive outcome over the upcoming season.
Adding depth and improving key positions will be the difference in the Hammers keeping up with their competitors for a spot inside the top seven over their next 38 fixtures in the league and for that reason, it will come as no surprise that the club is hitting the summer transfer market hard.
Standard Sport are now reporting that West Ham continues their relentless pursuit to secure the signature of Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran but there still remains some distance in the two clubs agreeing on their respective valuations of the player.
The Villains remain adamant on their £40m price tag to part ways with the striker this summer, however, the Hammers are reluctant to meet that fee and it is claimed that the latest offer has been tabled at £30m, with the deal also including promising teenage midfielder Lewis Orford.
Should West Ham sign Jhon Duran?
There is no doubt that the signing of a prolific striker has been a high priority for West Ham for some time now, as Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are both reaching the end of his career and a replacement is desperately needed.
Over 23 Premier League appearances, the 20-year-old ace – who was dubbed a “special player” by Villa boss Unai Emery – scored five goals despite only averaging 22 minutes per game, not only that he had a scoring frequency of 101 minutes which is an impressive output for a player who only started three times in the top flight.
The promise of first team football could be an extremely attractive prospect for Duran to join the London club this summer, as he is currently behind Ollie Watkins who is absolutely thriving for Villa at the moment and opportunities will be rare for the Colombian to contribute if the first choice goal machine remains fit.
With that being said, this deal is definitely one to watch for West Ham fans as it is clear that Villa are open to the sale of the striker and as soon as terms are finally resolved between the two, there is no reason why Duran won’t become the perfect replacement for Antonio and Ings next season.
