- West Ham United are set to beat Chelsea in the race to sign Aston Villa’s promising young striker, Jhon Duran.
- The 20-year-old Colombian has caught the eye of the Hammers, who have placed him on their list of summer targets.
- Chelsea have been tracking Duran since January, with former manager Mauricio Pochettino keen on bringing the youngster to Stamford Bridge.
- However, negotiations between Villa and Chelsea hit a roadblock, partly due to Chelsea’s attempt to include Conor Gallagher in the deal, which the midfielder reportedly refused.
Newsypeople- West Ham United have made a deal on personal terms with Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran, winning over Chelsea to secure the 20-year-old Colombian international. Now, West Ham is talking with Villa about how much money they will pay for the transfer fee, which people think might be around £35 million.
Duran is wanting to leave Villa Park in the past few weeks, with his posts on social media showing he wants to go to Chelsea. But talks between Villa and Chelsea stopped because of what Duran is asking for salary-wise and some possible attitude problems. Also, Chelsea tried to add Conor Gallagher into the agreement, but reports say that Gallagher did not agree to this plan.
When Chelsea looking at other players, West Ham take chance to go after Duran. New manager Julen Lopetegui really wants to make his team stronger before his first season at London Stadium begins. Now, the Hammers are focusing on making their attack better.
Even though Duran had not much playing time last season, he showed big potential by scoring five goals in only 462 minutes of Premier League play.
The Villa manager Unai Emery complimented the young striker, calling him a “special player” and stressing how important it is to help him grow. But, with Villa having big dreams, they might want a backup for their main striker Ollie Watkins who has more experience.
Duran was backup to Watkins last season, but many see his potential. If West Ham gets him, it will be big achievement for the Hammers and bad news for their London rivals, Chelsea. The Blues surely feel disappointment due to their long-time interest in the striker and his shown potential.
For West Ham, getting Duran would give them more choices in attack and make their confidence grow stronger against Chelsea. But if Chelsea cannot get Duran after following him for many months, it might make them feel embarrassed.
See the news below…
🚨⚒️ West Ham have already submitted more than one bid for Jhon Durán to Aston Villa.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 9, 2024
Understand last proposal currently worth around £35m plus 10% sell-on clause.
Negotiations underway, personal terms already agreed with Durán. 🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/hFlBslREUP
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