Aston Villa have been warned that the fifth best striker in Europe could join West Ham as Jhon Duran talks continue.
If Aston Villa want to raise some vital transfer funds then they had better get a deal done with West Ham for Jhon Duran as soon as possible.
West Ham and Aston Villa are said to be locked in talks over a deal for the wantaway striker.
The top spokesman inside the club has told Hammers News West Ham won’t pay Villa’s original £35-40m asking price for Duran.
West Ham revealed Villa’s frustrated 20-year-old Colombian star is ‘one of many’ forwards technical they are in for.
But it’s become increasingly clear the Villa man is West Ham’s top target.
West Ham’s refusal to meet Villa’s demands sparked hope a compromise could be reached when transfer reporter Graeme Bailey shared a fresh update.
He said there had been a breakthrough after Duran and Villa came to an agreement to help sell him with West Ham still ‘very interested’.
Bailey claimed Aston Villa were now willing to negotiate a lower fee with significant add-ons.
Then Napoli made an approach to Villa for Duran only to be told he’s joining the Hammers for £31m.
A new report from The Times says West Ham are inching ever closer to signing Duran, who has been frustrated by a lack of game time under Unai Emery at Villa Park.
It has been claimed Villa are open to selling Duran to West Ham so they can raise funds to sign Joao Felix.
But Aston Villa should be warned that the fifth best striker in Europe could join West Ham as Duran talks continue.
The Times states the Hammers have seen several offers turned down for the Colombia forward, who scored five goals in 23 Premier League appearances last season and was given permission to discuss a move to Chelsea last month.
Duran joined Villa for an initial £14.75million from Chicago Fire in January 2023, becoming Unai Emery’s second signing at the club.
Villa are determined to more than double their money if they are to sell him to West Ham, though.
And that could cost them vital transfer income given their heavy spending this summer.
Because it is being claimed that West Ham could still sign Artem Dovbyk from Girona after launching a move in the ‘last few hours’.
Dovbyk has been linked with the Hammers recently but has been widely expected to join Girona’s La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.
But a top source close to West Ham’s transfer action has told Hammers News that there is a glimmer of hope the Ukrainian can still be persuaded to come to east London instead in a £35m deal.
“There has been contact over Dovbyk in the last few hours and although the player seems keen on continuing in Spain with Atletico, there has been some encouragement he would be open to a move to West Ham if that move does not transpire,” the top source told Hammers News.
Dovbyk was officially the joint fifth best striker in Europe last season with 24 goals.
Whether that will provide some smelling salts for Villa over a deal with the Hammers for Duran remains to be seen.
Unai Emery could do with that money as he plots the reshaping of his squad.
But an argument could be made that Villa have not actually improved their squad this summer given the ins and outs so far.
Doubling their money on Duran to bolster the budget is surely a no brainer.
West Ham may spend that money elsewhere, though, if Villa aren’t careful.
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