West Ham have made a bid worth £57 million for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
Villa are reluctant to sell and are understood to value Duran at over £70m.
West Ham have long been interested in Duran, who recently extended his contract until 2030, and new West Ham coach Graham Potter is a huge admirer.
The Hammers tried to sign Duran in the summer but failed to meet Villa’s valuation.
The 21-year-old has scored seven Premier League goals in 19 appearances this season, with Ollie Watkins being Unai Emery’s preferred striker.
He moved to Villa Park from MLS side Chicago Fire in January 2023, but has only been a starter in seven of his 54 league appearances.
Can Villa offer enough opportunities to retain Duran?
Duran is currently Villa’s back-up striker behind Ollie Watkins
Laura Hunter from Sky Sports:
“West Ham are testing the situation with this offer. They apparently believe that an amount of money close to this offer will be enough to at least tempt Villa to the negotiating table.
“Not too long ago, Duran was naively throwing around the words ‘Irons.’ Instagram live after hearing about the summer interest from Londoners. He quickly bounced back from that and has since proven his worth to Villa, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.
“Ollie Watkins believes this pair can play together,” he said after Villa’s draw with Arsenal on Saturday. The person who needs convincing, however, is Unai Emery, who seems reluctant to put Watkins and Duran in a trusted partnership.
“The question remains whether 602 minutes of Premier League play will really be enough to satisfy Duran’s growing appetite. He is a striker who can play for many top clubs, but currently his path is blocked by Watkins’ reliability and experience. “
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