Both West Ham and Chelsea were heavily linked with striker Jhon Duran in the summer and he’s been filling both clubs with regret.
West Ham and Aston Villa were involved in protracted talks over young Colombian forward Jhon Duran in the summer.
But the 20-year-old was also linked with Premier League rivals Chelsea.
A journalist revealed to Hammers News at the end of August that West Ham still desperately wanted Duran before the deadline.
The Hammers had signed another reported Chelsea target Niclas Fullkrug and little known Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme for a combined £43.5m.
Had West Ham not spent that money, they would have been able to pay the Duran asking price.
Final word on West Ham and Chelsea Duran saga
Inability to get fees in for several players the Hammers wanted to ship out and the fact Danny Ings refused to leave, meant West Ham’s Duran hopes faded and died.
Despite having a seemingly bottomless pit of money, Chelsea also didn’t pay Duran’s asking price.
Now Fabrizio Romano has made a new Duran claim which will infuriate Chelsea even more than West Ham.
When Duran went live on social media to do the crossed Hammers salute a move to West Ham looked done and dusted.
It wasn’t and he remained at Villa where his redemption arc has been making West Ham – and Chelsea – pig sick.
Now that feeling of regret will be even greater – for both the Hammers and the Blues.
New Duran claim will infuriate Chelsea even more than West Ham
Because Romano has revealed that Chelsea came very close to signing Duran before the summer’s Euros and Copa America took place.
He says talks were advanced only for Conor Gallagher to collapse the move by refusing to join Villa as a makeweight.
West Ham then pushed to do a deal but Villa – as Hammers fans know all too well – refused to budge on price.
“Chelsea were close to signing Jhon Duran in June, before the Euros,” Romano said on X.
“Talks were at advanced stages with Aston Villa with Conor Gallagher as part of swap deal.
“But Gallagher rejected the move and the deal collapsed. Aston Villa rejected several bids from West Ham for Duran.”
That will be truly sickening for West Ham and Chelsea fans.
Nicolas Jackson may be doing a great job for the Blues of late, but there’s an argument Chelsea could be title chasers with Duran too.
The Villa striker’s brilliant form has piled pressure on technical director Tim Steidten over the signing of Fullkrug.
Given his age, lack of pace and injury record, concerns were raised about that deal.
Sure enough Fullkrug has been out for half of West Ham’s game so far with injury.
What’s done is done, time to move past Duran disappointment
Hammers News exclusively revealed Fullkrug will be out until after the October international break.
Julen Lopetegui has now confirmed that and there are no guarantees he’ll definitely be ready for Spurs after the break.
Many Hammers fans wanted to see the club get a younger, more dynamic striker like Duran.
This new reveal from Romano won’t make that pill any easier to swallow for West Ham.
Or Chelsea for that matter.
But the Blues’ striker options are much higher quality than West Ham’s.
The Hammers cannot keep crying over spilt milk, though.
Neither club signed Duran and now he’s an £80m player only one of them could dream of doing so in the future.
And it’s not West Ham unfortunately.
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