Report: West Ham Poised to End Prolonged Pursuit of Premier League Player
According to Sean Whetstone, West Ham May End Pursuit of Jhon Duran Following Niclas Fullkrug Signing
The former Six Foot Two editor reported via X on August 5 that sources within the club have indicated that several current strikers would need to depart for West Ham to secure the signing of the Aston Villa forward.
Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui had targeted the Colombian as a top centre-forward option during the transfer window [The Athletic, July 12].
However, negotiations did not reach an agreement despite multiple bids, and a £26.5 million deal for Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund [Florian Plettenberg, August 2] has now been confirmed.
West Ham’s pursuit of the Aston Villa forward may be coming to an end. Villa’s demand of £40 million for Duran [James Nursey, July 22] means he is likely out of reach without significant departures from West Ham.
Although neither Fullkrug nor Crysencio Summerville [Plettenberg, August 3] commanded excessive fees, their combined cost of approximately £50 million, alongside £40 million for Max Kilman [Sky Sports, July 6] and an additional £25 million for Luis Guilherme [BBC Sport, June 13], has stretched the budget.
It seems the financial limits have been reached despite Steidten’s efforts to finalize deals for the former two and the imminent arrival of free agent Guido Rodriguez.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains a potential target from Manchester United, though this pursuit is encountering financial hurdles [The Sun, August 5].
If West Ham could secure a decent fee from selling Danny Ings or Michail Antonio, it would make sense to proceed.
However, with the need for several strikers to be sold, Lopetegui could be left short of options if either Fullkrug or Duran were to get injured.
Unless a substantial fee is generated from selling someone like Nayef Aguerd, it appears that the Aston Villa forward’s chances of moving to the London Stadium may be over.
