Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten make Jhon Duran top West Ham United attacking transfer target
Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten have identified Jhon Duran as the primary attacking transfer target at West Ham, The Athletic reports.
According to Roshane Thomas via the outlet’s website on 12 July the Aston Villa striker could be available as manager Unai Emery is now open to letting him leave.
A loan-to-buy offer from the Hammers was rejected in January but the 20-year-old also wants more first-team opportunities.
Lopetegui is reportedly planning to play with a loan striker in either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation this season and currently has the exit-linked pair of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings in his squad.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery prepared to let West Ham target leave
Duran continues to generate substantial interest despite a record of just eight goals in 49 Villa appearances since arriving from MLS 18-months ago.
Chelsea and AC Milan have both also had an interest in him even though there were also reportedly concerns over his physical conditioning last term when he came back from international duty.
Those factors will make it a potential risk for West Ham to spend big on the Colombian, especially in light of their recent record of success when investing in strikers.
Sebastien Haller, Gianluca Scamacca and even Ings himself all spring to mind as not delivering value for money and yet there is a sense that Duran can be a lot more than what he has so far shown.
Understandably he’s had a hard time getting past England’s Euro 2024 hero Ollie Watkins at Villa Park and Emery has done impressively to take them into the Champions League without using his young back-up striker too much.
Many supporters might feel more confident if Steidten brought in a more established name in addition, but with a £35million bid already made and personal terms agreed [Fabrizio Romano, 9 July] Duran would surely be in contention for the top spot.
In other West Ham news, a Premier League rival is planning a major move to sign an important Hammers player.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.