A journalist who is close with the son of West Ham majority owner David Sullivan has made a stunning new claim about talks with Aston Villa for Jhon Duran.
Just when you thought the Jhon Duran saga between West Ham and Aston Villa was over, think again.
Colombian maverick striker Duran was West Ham’s top striker target in the summer as negotiations with Villa rumbled on for two months.
The on-off deal looked very much on when Duran took to social media and did a crossed Hammers gesture.
In the end West Ham would not pay Aston Villa’s £45m asking price with suggestions from within the club that it was too much for such an inexperienced player.
Instead technical director Tim Steidten elected to spread his striker budget over the disastrous signings of Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.
Fullkrug has been ruled out for another three months having only just returned from a three-month injurt lay-off.
Guilherme has barely featured and West Ham are already trying to offload him to a Saudi club.
Much to the despair of West Ham’s fans, Duran has spent the first quarter of the season making Steidten’s decision look utterly ridiculous with his form for Aston Villa.
With 12 goals, many of them absolute humdingers, Duran has become one of the hottest prospects in European football.
Meanwhile West Ham have been left with Danny Ings as their only striker option.
There is no lack of irony that Villa used the £15m West Ham paid them for Ings to sign Duran from Chicago Fire for £500k less.
Sensational new claim about talks between West Ham and Villa for Duran
Duran has been putting together a stunning redemption arc at Villa Park after angering fans with his Hammers gesture on social media when a move to West Ham looked on the cards.
Despite signing a new deal with Villa, though, speculation has never gone away about a potential move to east London.
Now there has been a sensational new claim about talks between West Ham and Aston Villa for Duran.
It was claimed recently that Duran remains on West Ham’s list of targets with signing a younger striker a necessity in the coming windows.
The report claimed the Hammers believe they can play on the fact Duran is not getting the regular starting berth he craves and think they may yet be able to sign him.
The Colombian opened up on his failed West Ham move for the first time at the weekend.
Duran conceded there was a chance he was going to move to the London Stadium.
And he said his burning desire to be the main striker coupled with a lack of patience means he may still want that at another club.
Duran, who has admitted he has a “love-hate relationship” with Unai Emery, found himself back on the Villa bench for the win at Everton after completing his three-game ban.
Hammers made £40m bid for Duran last week
West Ham have been encouraged by the fact Aston Villa have gone out and signed forward Donyell Malen.
The Villans have also been linked with moves for other strikers.
Football correspondent Graeme Bailey claimed West Ham made a new £40m bid for Duran just last week.
Interestingly, Bailey has told Hammers News ‘Duran actually would be open to it as he wants to be first choice’.
Since news of the Duran bid broke, David Sullivan has confirmed the bid to Claret and Hugh, saying: “We’ve tried, but PSG and a few foreign clubs have outbid us,” the site was told.
“We never mention to supporters failed bids as it frustrates them.”
Now a journalist who is close with Sullivan’s son Jack has made a stunning claim live on Sky Sports News.
Reporter Mark McAdam has been doing a new weekly podcast called The Boardroom with Jack Sullivan.
So it is safe to assume any information coming from McAdam is pretty credible.
‘Talks continue’ between West Ham and Villa for Duran
And McAdam claims ‘talks are continuing’ between the Hammers and Villa over Duran.
Villa have reportedly told West Ham they will sell. But West Ham may have to show unprecedented ambition to get it done.
“West Ham remain interested (in Duran),” McAdam said live on Sky Sports News on Thursday night (7.30pm).
“They’ve had a longstanding interest in the Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
“We understand Aston Villa want £70m plus to entertain any kind of a deal.
“West Ham not close to any deal there at this stage.
“But talks continue. But that’s it at this stage.”
West Ham fans know their club won’t be signing off on any deal of that amount.
Why Hammers should pay Villa the money for Duran
But would it really be that crazy for them to try and reach a compromise of around £60m?
West Ham have wasted five times that in the last few years alone signing flop forwards.
Here is one who is perfect for what West Ham need and can be the club’s number one striker for years to come. So why not lay down £60-70m for the guarantee of a top young forward now proven at Premier League level?
It actually makes financial sense to sanction the deal. Say Duran signed up for six years, spread that cost over that period and it’s just £10-12m a year.
Peanuts in the grand scheme of things.
West Ham could go on to sign four or five more strikers in the next four or five years given their record over the last 15.
And £60-70m is only £20-30m more than West Ham offered last week.
At least with Duran, the club know what they are getting.
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