The agent of Aston Villa star Jhon Duran has touched down in the UK as West Ham make their choice over a deal. If West Ham were playing a game of poker with Aston Villa over Jhon Duran then it seems the Hammers weren’t bluffing. Hammers News exclusively revealed West Ham would refuse to meet Villa’s £35m asking price for Duran way back on July 13th. Conspiracy theories were doing the rounds that a move for Niclas Fullkrug was nothing more than a ruse to force Aston Villa’s hand over Duran.
Fast forward nearly a month and a game of cat and mouse with Aston Villa has ended with West Ham signing the 31-year-old from Dortmund. The Hammers will announce the capture of Germany star Fullkrug today.
Agent of Villa star Duran touches down as West Ham decide. Meanwhile Aston Villa continue to be linked with big moves including for a number of forwards.
That has led to suggestions West Ham might yet sign both Fullkrug and Duran this summer. Especially after Duran burned bridges at Villa Park by doing the crossed Hammers salute on social media last weekend.
The 20-year-old Colombian is frustrated at a lack of game time under Unai Emery since joining from Chicago Fire in January 2023.
And he has not been shy in highlighting his impatience. Even if the man in front of him is a certain Ollie Watkins. Now the agent of Aston Villa star Duran has touched down in the UK as West Ham make their decision.
West Ham made position clear to Villa as Fullkrug signs
On the day Fullkrug is going to be unveiled by the Hammers, Duran’s agent Ivan Reyes has flown to Birmingham.
Reyes posted a picture landing in Birmingham alongside Union Jack and Colombia flags as well as a signing emoji on his Instagram Stories.
That has sparked tenuous speculation that he could be in town to try and get Aston Villa to let his client join West Ham.
But the reality is likely to upset many West Ham fans.
Because two top sources close to West Ham’s owners have already made the club’s position regarding Fullkrug and Duran perfectly clear.
Speaking to Hammers News at the weekend, the key senior London Stadium contact was emphatic when asked whether West Ham might sign senior star Fullkrug and young hotshot Duran.
“Yes, signing Fullkrug would end our Duran interest,” the top West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.
“If it happens.”
It doesn’t get much clearer than that.
It was Fullkrug or Duran not both
And now Fullkrug has signed with his official announcement on the way. Despite ruling out the move for Villa’s wantaway star, speculation will likely continue such is the nature of the summer transfer window.
As much as fans might have loved the idea of signing a striker for now and one for the future, West Ham’s priorities now are on signing a right-back and centre-back.
Any fans who witnessed the club’s pre-season games will agree with that plan. Supporters who refuse to give up on the idea of signing Duran must also ask themselves a key question.
Why would Duran now swap being back-up striker at Aston Villa – who have eight guaranteed Champions League matches in the new format – for being back-up striker at West Ham, who do not have any European football next season.
If the Duran situation is to be revisited then it will likely be next summer at the earliest.
That’s if the Colombian is still at Villa by then with talk of interest from Saudi, Spain and the likes of Chelsea – who compensate players for a lack of regular game time with huge, long contracts.
