West Ham Has Allegedly Created a Major £50 Million Transfer Issue for Aston Villa

Ivan Toney was a player West Ham showed interest in during the summer transfer window, while Aston Villa’s forward Jhon Duran was a key target for Julen Lopetegui.

The Hammers’ head coach aimed to bring the Villa starlet to the London Stadium before securing Niclas Fullkrug, but interest in Duran might still linger.

Reports indicated that West Ham was ready to offer £30 million for Duran, although Villa was seeking closer to £40 million.

Villa sought reliable competition and cover for Ollie Watkins, while Lopetegui needed a significant upgrade over Michail Antonio and Danny Ings.

Toney, at 28, was reportedly available for £50 million or less this summer, a substantial amount considering he will turn 29 before the season ends.

Yet, there could be a way this deal could benefit Villa. However, West Ham’s involvement has complicated matters.

West Ham has created a transfer problem for Aston Villa regarding Ivan Toney.

The Brentford striker is expected to leave the west London club this summer.

He was left out of their squad recently after Thomas Frank confirmed his potential departure. The big question is where he will go.

As the weeks pass, Toney’s options seem to be dwindling, but a new claim about his future has emerged.

Andy Gray, a former Villa player, spoke on beIN SPORTS, revealing how West Ham might have affected Villa’s plans this summer.

“I heard a couple of rumours recently when I was back in the UK that Villa and [Unai] Emery were seriously thinking about enquiring about him – let’s just say that,” Gray said. “I’m not sure where Villa sit with FFP – they sold Douglas Luiz for a lot and spent a lot.

I don’t know if Jhon Duran’s proposed transfer to West Ham not happening has now softened that a little, but there was definitely talk that Villa would be interested in Toney.”

The failed transfer of Duran to West Ham has seemingly created a significant problem for Villa. Moreover, the situation didn’t favor West Ham either, as Duran scored the winning goal for Aston Villa against them at the London Stadium.

There is still a chance that the deal for Duran might not be entirely off the table, especially after Unai Emery’s comments following Saturday’s game, where he expressed uncertainty about Duran’s future at Villa beyond the transfer window.

For Villa to secure Toney, they might need to reconsider their demands for Duran. West Ham could greatly benefit from a young striker like Duran, who possesses explosive pace and dynamic movement.

The 20-year-old could provide Lopetegui with a unique option in attack.

Should Villa intensify their pursuit of Toney in the coming weeks, Duran might reappear on West Ham’s radar.