West Ham United chief Tim Steidten was “fed up” with Aston Villa moving the goalposts for a deal to sign Jhon Duran, according to Sean Whetstone.
Whetstone reported via the West Ham Football X account (10 September) that the Hammers’ technical director felt he was being messed around by the Villans as the Irons looked to sign the Colombian forward.
Unai Emery’s side were keen for Lewis Orford to be included as part of the deal, with reports suggesting the Irons offered the youngster on top of £30million as they pushed to secure Duran [Sky Sports, 25 July].
Despite some speculation, it also remains unclear whether or not Villa would have been willing to accept a straight £40million offer from Julen Lopetegui’s side for the striker.
Did Jhon Duran come close to Aston Villa exit amid West Ham transfer rumours?
While some Hammers supporters have suggested that West Ham should have just paid the fee that Villa were looking for to sign Duran this summer, Steidten deserves credit for not pandering to Emery’s side’s demands.
Yes, the Colombian forward would have been an excellent addition to Lopetegui’s ranks heading into the new season, but in the end, the Irons managed to secure the signature of Niclas Fullkrug for a lower fee instead.
Had Steidten just matched Villa’s asking price after weeks of being messed around by decision-makers at Villa Park, it could well have harmed West Ham’s negotiating position in the future as teams would have known that they were willing to overpay.
All-in-all, it feels as though Steidten and those around him at the London Stadium made the right decision by walking away from this transfer in the final days of the summer window.
Who knows, if the Villans’ transfer terms change when the January window rolls around maybe a deal could still be revisited. For now, however, it seems unlikely we’ll see Duran in Hammers colours anytime soon.
