Jhon Duran is clearly the number one striker target for West Ham United this summer, but the club have a contingency plan in place it seems.
West Ham are pursuing a move to sign Aston Villa hitman Jhon Duran, and have allegedly lodged a £35 million bid for the Colombian.
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui is clearly prioritising the addition of a top-class centre-forward this summer, and has apparently explored a move to sign Jonathan David as well.
However, it’s clear to see that Villa starlet Duran is the Spaniard’s number one striker target, and he will want to get a deal done for him as soon as possible.
It was recently claimed that Lopetegui wants to get the majority of his transfer business done before West Ham’s pre season campaign begins.
Judging by the fact that the players are already out on a pre-season training camp in Austria with a friendly clash with Hungarian side Ferencvaros lined up on July 15th, he has better get a move on.
Lopetegui has already signed Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham and Max Kilman, and now bringing a new striker to the London Stadium is clearly his main priority.
Duran is the man for the job in the Spaniard’s eyes, but what happens if Villa refuse to play ball?
West Ham eye 32-year-old striker as Jhon Duran alternative
The Colombia international is a real handful, and he’d cause all sorts of problems for the Hammers playing in between Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus.
The 6ft 1in striker is extremely strong in the air, possesses really impressive pace and is always willing to put the hard yards in and run the channels.
On paper, he should be the perfect striker for us – a young, powerful forward with bags of potential who Lopetegui and his coaching staff will be able to turn into a top-class player.
However, what happens if Lopetegui fails to get his man? Well, it seems like the Hammers boss has a contingency plan in place.
And Hammers fans will know the name very well indeed – he’s one of our chief nemeses.
According to a report from Give Me Sport, Newcastle striker Callum Wilson is still an option for West Ham this summer.
However, Aston Villa ace Jhon Duran remains the Hammers’ number one striker target.
I have to say, West Ham shouldn’t be going anywhere near Wilson due to his age and horrendous injury record.
Sure, he was a very good striker in his day, and I would have loved us to sign him four or five years ago.
Those days have long gone now though, and he’s someone Lopetegui should be avoiding at all costs.
The 32-year-old has previously been linked with a £20 million transfer to the London Stadium this summer, but signing him would be a big mistake as far as I’m concerned.
He has missed 462 days of action through injury since he moved to St James’ Park in the summer of 2020.
Wilson was a superb striker in his heyday, and we all know just how dangerous he can be – he has scored 12 goals in 14 games against us during his career.
However, he’s nowhere near the player he once was, and at 32, he will only continue to regress from here on out.
West Ham should be going all out to sign Jhon Duran, but if we miss out on him I’d like to see Lopetegui bring someone like Jonathan David, Youssef En-Nesyri or Simon Banza to the London Stadium.
Newcastle hitman Wilson shouldn’t even be on our radar as far as I’m concerned.
