West Ham technical director Tim Steidten may have to start turning his TV and phone off when Aston Villa are playing.
The Hammers simply had to get their striker decisions right during the summer window.
That led technical director Tim Steidten to Aston Villa and Jhon Duran.
West Ham fans had heard a bit about Duran the season before, mostly because he was being linked with London rivals Chelsea.
The fact Aston Villa fans were annoyed at the possibility Duran might leave for West Ham spoke volumes.
Especially given they have Ollie Watkins up front.
Claims of a bad attitude did not perturb the Hammers faithful either.
West Ham love a hot-headed maverick, especially up front.
And Colombian Duran is certainly that.
Steidten negotiated with Aston Villa for around a month on and off.
The move looked on too when Duran did the crossed Hammers gesture on an Instagram Live video as speculation intensified.
In the end, though, Steidten chose to save around £20m by signing injury-prone 31-year-old Niclas Fullkrug instead so he could spread his budget further.
Some blame Steidten and others blame the owners for what has unfolded since.
And at this point sickeningly good Aston Villa star Duran is just trolling West Ham’s Steidten.
West Ham fans warned Steidten he was making a mistake signing Fullkrug.
The Hammers needed a young, dynamic forward who could be the club’s striker for years to come.
Sickeningly good Villa star Duran trolling Steidten
Especially as they already have soon-to-be 35-year-old Michail Antonio and 32-year-old Danny Ings out of contract at the end of the season.
But the German brought in his compatriot Fullkrug in a £23.5m deal.
He made three brief substitute cameo appearances in the Premier League, barely touching the ball let alone scoring a goal.
And lo and behold the striker with an injury record as long as his arm has been out with a serious Achilles and calf issue ever since.
The earliest Fullkrug will return is the end of November at Newcastle away.
But he has lost all his fitness and conditioning – so it could indeed be much longer.
Someone please make it stop
To rub salt in Steidten’s gaping wound, Duran’s redemption arc at Aston Villa has been torturous.
It started in almost comedic fashion with Duran coming on and getting the winner in a 2-1 Aston Villa victory over West Ham in the first game of the season.
Just as Hammers fans had predicted.
If it feels like Duran has scored every week since, it’s because he pretty much has.
The 20-year-old netted his EIGHTH goal of the season in Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup clash with Crystal Palace.
It was his third goal as a starter too.
Many of those strikes have been absolute bangers including against Everton and Bayern Munich.
Duran even scored for Colombia during the international break.
Duran Duran – Save a Prayer for West Ham man’s reputation
His all round hold-up play, pace, power and unerring finishing leave West Ham fans feeling miserable on a weekly basis.
It was claimed last week that Duran remains on West Ham’s list of targets with signing a younger striker a necessity in the coming windows.
There is reportedly a belief that the Hammers can play on the fact Duran is not getting the regular starting berth he craves.
That is surely pie in the sky, though. Particularly as Duran penned a new long-term contract a few weeks ago.
Saying Duran is quite literally trolling Steidten on a weekly basis is tongue in cheek of course.
There is a serious side to terrible striker clangers
But there is a serious side to this.
The German technical director’s decision to go for Fullkrug instead while also spending £20m on Luis Guilherme is seriously undermining the other work he has done in east London.
It has raised serious doubts about Steidten and his project.
He promised a young, exciting West Ham team.
Yet he chose a 31-year-old injury prone forward with zero pace over an exciting star 11 years his junior.
Since the summer overhaul West Ham have gone from having the second oldest squad in the Premier League to THE OLDEST.
Duran, Duran it’s all West Ham hear nowadays.
West Ham fans were hungry like the wolf for a top young striker.
You can save a prayer for Steidten’s reputation if the Colombian keeps up his remarkable form.
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