West Ham United stance on £35m Jhon Duran transfer emerges amid Aston Villa exit update
West Ham United are not willing to match Aston Villa’s £35million asking price for Jhon Duran this summer, according to Sean Whetstone.
Reporting via the West Ham Football X account on Sunday (14 July) he revealed that the Colombian is just one of many forwards on the Irons’ shortlist as they look to strengthen under Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers are open to negotiating a package which would include further add-ons based on the 20-year-old’s future performances but don’t want to pay the initial £35million fee upfront.
Reports had suggested Lopetegui’s side had already agreed personal terms with Duran this summer and had already submitted a £35million offer to Villa which included a 10 per cent sell-on clause for the future [Fabrizio Romano, 9 July].
Will West Ham United sign Jhon Duran amid Aston Villa exit speculation?
While Duran appears to be the perfect replacement for Michail Antonio this summer given his similar physical profile, West Ham won’t want to be held to ransom by Villa as they look to get the deal over the line.
£35million is a lot to spend on one player and although the Irons spent more to sign Max Kilman from Wolves, he has proven himself in the Premier League in the past, but the jury is still out on Duran at the moment.
When he has started for the Villans, he has impressed both in and out of possession and had an eye for goal. However, he has been limited to just a handful of domestic starts and it remains to be seen if he can play a full 90 minutes every week.
If the deal can be structured with add-ons based on appearances and performances, West Ham would be much more willing to reach an agreement with the Villans sooner rather than later.
However, on the current terms, it doesn’t feel likely that the Irons will be willing to cough up a £35million fee upfront.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have found the perfect Michail Antonio replacement this summer in Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran
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