Mike Wedderburn was left stunned as he was told it would take £70million for West Ham to sign Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
Mark McAdam reported live on Sky Sports News on Thursday (16 January, 19:53) that the Hammers have a “long-standing interest” in Duran before the host was taken aback by the demands.
Graham Potter is desperate for attacking reinforcements in January due to long-term injuries plaguing his squad, and have already bid for Duran, which came way under Villa’s demands.
McAdam said: “Jhon Duran, they’ve had a long-standing interest in the Aston Villa striker. We understand Villa want £70million-plus to entertain any kind of a deal. West Ham are not close to a deal at this stage.”
“Oh, gosh…” Wedderburn replied, stunned at the news.
West Ham in limbo as Aston Villa demand £70m for Duran
Aston Villa are well within their rights to act boisterously over Duran, who signed a contract until 2030 with them only in the autumn, following his excellent form this season.
Despite not often starting for his side, his impacts from the bench have almost single-handedly contributed to his double-figure goals haul in all competitions.
The first of these came against West Ham at the London Stadium, just days after a proposed move from Villa Park looked to have broken down.
While the Irons retain an interest, clubs will know the predicament they find themselves in over looking for a new attacker, with Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug both out for extended periods.
Florian Plettenberg reported on 16 January that Hoffenheim’s Mergim Berisha had been offered, but the Irons are only looking for a certain profile of striker.
This is certainly something to watch as the window progresses.
