Reports suggest that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are still open minded and could ‘cash in’ on Jhon Duran in the next transfer window. This after West Ham came close – if £5 million short is considered ‘close’ to buying the 20 year old from Villa in the summer.
It will probably cost millions more each time Duran nets between now and January – and it begs the question will the Hammers be prepared to break the bank to secure the striker they should have bought in 2024.
Reported as an exclusive in Givemesport.com, it is considered likely that Aston Villa’s strategy will be to cash in on the Colombian’s ‘possible’ value in the winter window: ” Sources have been informed that Emery is open to cashing in on Duran, despite highlighting that he can make an impact off the bench, as he is likely to struggle to displace Ollie Watkins from his current employers’ starting line-up and there have been no suggestions that he is in line to be rewarded with fresh terms at this stage.”
With other clubs reported as interested – apart from West Ham – being Chelsea, Newcastle and Inter Milan, any expectations which Tim Steidten might have had for acquiring Duran for £40 million are long gone.
If one of those top tier clubs decides to get their cheque books out, West Ham will be left trailing in their wake financially and rue the day they let Duran slip through their fingers.
If Fullkrug hasn’t started firing by January, Steidten will have to do what he specialised in at his previous clubs and unearth a new ‘pearl’ for half that amount. I suspect the ‘targets’ are already being monitored.