Julen Lopetegui to get best out of West Ham United missing piece Jhon Duran
West Ham are very active in the transfer market and there is no sense that they are going to slow down before the window slams shut.
Max Kilman, Wes Foderingham and Luis Guilherme are already in the door, while a plethora of other names have been linked with a switch to the London Stadium.
Chief among those linked names is Aston Villa striker, who could be the missing piece they need as a central striker to complement a wealth of attacking options.
The Colombia international has rarely been handed a chance of regular minutes by Unai Emery since signing for Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023.
This could be different under Julen Lopetegui with the 20-year-old potentially set to become the Hammers’ main striker option.
With the ability the Villa starlet already has, combined with his high potential, West Ham could be handed a boost ahead of the season by signing Duran.
West Ham could be boosted by Jhon Duran signing
HITC reported on 22 July that the Irons are looking to finalise a deal for the forward ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle United this summer.
A transfer could soon be completed but the Villans are said to be holding out for £35million, which may be too steep a figure for the Hammers to cough up.
It is clear that technical director Tim Steidten and head coach Lopetegui are admirers of the 20-year-old and the Spaniard could be the manager to get the most out of him.
Duran brings electric pace, physicality and incredible shot power which has seen him score some excellent goals in limited minutes for Villa.
His strike against Crystal Palace won the goal of the season award for the side that achieved Champions League qualification last season.
The Colombian could get so much better with regular game time and there is potential that Lopetegui can offer him that moving forward into the upcoming season.
If the Irons get this one done, Duran could be a genuine game-changer for this side.
In other West Ham news, Trevor Chalobah approach could be made amid Chelsea pre-season snub.
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