West Ham United bid £30m plus youngster to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa – Romano

West Ham have offered £30million and a young player in an attempt to sign Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian transfer specialist reported [25 July] that negotiations are ongoing between the two parties to reach an agreement over the 20-year-old striker.

It is understood that Duran was going to make his feelings known at Villa Park, according to James Nursey, wanting a move to the London Stadium over Chelsea or Newcastle United.

West Ham United make player-plus-cash deal for Jhon Duran

Hammers fans now face a nervous wait after the club’s new offer to Villa.

Many fans are excited to see the Colombian arrive at the London Stadium, even despite the large price tag for a striker who has only netted eight times in 49 appearances for the Premier League side.

On the other hand, the Irons have a well-established academy set-up, filled to the brim with special talents waiting to burst into Julen Lopetegui’s first team.

Multiple talents were handed their debuts by David Moyes towards the end of last season, including the likes of George Earthy, Kaelan Casey and Lewis Orford.

While the striker position looks to be a very important area to cover for the new manager this summer, the club must not weaken their academy for a new signing if any of the youngsters have first-team potential.

🚨⚒️ Understand West Ham have offered £30m plus one young player as part of the deal for Jhon Durán.

Negotiations ongoing with Aston Villa to reach an agreement.

↪️🇺🇦 West Ham also asked about Artem Dovbyk situation in the recent days but now it’s between Atlético and Roma. pic.twitter.com/3B1notZcGb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 25, 2024

The duo of Danny Ings and Michail Antonio has not filled the fanbase with a lot of confidence, especially due to the latter’s recent injury issues, and Duran could certainly help in that area of the pitch.

Duran has only been in England since January 2023, joining from MLS side Chicago Fire, but has already shown bursts of promise as a backup to Ollie Watkins.

His best performances have, arguably, come in Villa’s Europa Conference League matches.

In other West Ham news, Nottingham Forest have responded after the Hammers made a player-plus-cash bid for Neco Williams.