Jhon Duran release clause reveal by Aston Villa legend after West Ham bid
Jhon Duran leaving Aston Villa for West Ham United would be a “backwards step” for the in-demand striker, Gabby Agbonlahor has said.
Speaking on talkSPORT (21 January, 2:38pm), Agbonlahor urged Duran not to push for the exit door at Villa Park in the wake of the Irons launching a £57million bid for him, which was immediately rejected.
Duran is a long-term target of the Hammers and was the subject of a bid north of £30m, but having been in red-hot form this season and signing a new contract with Villa, he’s now valued at a lofty £85m.
Agbonlahor said: “He’s not going to move backwards [to] West Ham – Villa are a bigger club than West Ham.
“Villa are onto bigger things – the ownership, the manager, where the club’s at at the moment – why would he want to [take] a backwards step?
“I’m sure Jhon Duran one day, if he’s not getting the game time he wants, will be looking at bigger clubs – no offence to West Ham.
“Villa don’t need to sell him, he’s signed a long-term contract, I’m sure there’s no release clause in it, so Aston Villa are in a good position.”
West Ham advised to move on from Jhon Duran transfer
With every single goal and every single headline grabbed by Duran so far in a stunning season for Villa, Tim Steidten and other London Stadium decision-makers will be kicking themselves more and more.
Duran was seemingly there for the taking last summer, even gesturing that he wanted to join the Irons on social media and looking set for bit-part appearances behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order up front.
However, the Hammers refused to meet Villa’s £40m valuation for the 20-year-old and instead elected to spend £27m on Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund, a move which couldn’t have gone much worse.
The Colombian’s form in the wrong shade of claret and blue has been absolutely mesmeric this season, making it no surprise that higher-ups in East London are looking to rectify their huge summer blunder.
However, Duran’s transfer value having since doubled to well north of £80m surely puts paid to any approach the Irons could dream of making, and it’s now time for them to move on to other striker targets
In other West Ham news, another Premier League player is keen to leave his current club with a move to East London on the cards.
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