The Mail Online is reporting that West Ham are set to intensify our interest in striker Jhon Duran and meet Aston Villa’s £40 million valuation following yesterday’s rejected offer.
The Midlands club has already turned down a transfer bid of £32 million for the Colombian striker in a cash-plus-player deal, which would have seen 18-year-old Irons midfielder Lewis Orford move the other way, along with a significant sell-on clause.
The article does not specify whether Orford will be included in the new proposal; however, following yesterday’s fan reaction to the move, it seems highly unlikely.
West Ham are under intense pressure to get a transfer over the line after the collapse of recent attempts to address the problem position of right-back. Today’s news on the failure of the Hammers’ pursuit of Noussair Mazraoui has prompted the club into action, and one would expect the updated offer to be accepted by the Villains.
Aston Villa have driven a hard bargain throughout negotiations for Duran and have remained steadfast in their valuation of £40 million. It would be an incredible amount of money to pay for an unproven player, despite the 20-year-old’s undeniable potential.