Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has been linked with West Ham

West Ham United chief Tim Steidten 'fed up' of Jhon Duran transfer stance at Aston Villa

Dan is a sports journalist who graduated from the University of Gloucestershire with a first-class degree in Sports Journalism. Dan has a huge love for football and has spent time inside newsrooms throughout his time at university. Away from his laptop, he enjoys playing Sunday League football, or watching whatever football, cricket or whatever sport he can find.

Published on:

11 Sep 2024, 2:40 am

West Ham United chief Tim Steidten was "fed up" with Aston Villa moving the goalposts for a deal to sign Jhon Duran, according to Sean Whetstone.

Whetstone reported via the West Ham Football X account (10 September) that the Hammers' technical director felt he was being messed around by the Villans as the Irons looked to sign the Colombian forward.

Unai Emery's side were keen for Lewis Orford to be included as part of the deal, with reports suggesting the Irons offered the youngster on top of £30million as they pushed to secure Duran [Sky Sports, 25 July].

Despite some speculation, it also remains unclear whether or not Villa would have been willing to accept a straight £40million offer from Julen Lopetegui's side for the striker.

Did Jhon Duran come close to Aston Villa exit amid West Ham transfer rumours?

While some Hammers supporters have suggested that West Ham should have just paid the fee that Villa were looking for to sign Duran this summer, Steidten deserves credit for not pandering to Emery's side's demands.

Yes, the Colombian forward would have been an excellent addition to Lopetegui's ranks heading into the new season, but in the end, the Irons managed to secure the signature of Niclas Fullkrug for a lower fee instead.

Had Steidten just matched Villa's asking price after weeks of being messed around by decision-makers at Villa Park, it could well have harmed West Ham's negotiating position in the future as teams would have known that they were willing to overpay.

I believe Tim was fed up with being messed around by Villa and them changing the goal posts. The addition of Lewis Orford was one of the many changes they wanted. Whether they would have accepted a straight £40m bid is also debatable
— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) September 10, 2024

All-in-all, it feels as though Steidten and those around him at the London Stadium made the right decision by walking away from this transfer in the final days of the summer window.

Who knows, if the Villans' transfer terms change when the January window rolls around maybe a deal could still be revisited. For now, however, it seems unlikely we'll see Duran in Hammers colours anytime soon.

In other West Ham news, Niclas Fullkrug is set to return to the London Stadium after new developments in the international break

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West Ham United

Jhon Duran

Tim Steidten