No club needs to sign a striker more than West Ham this month and it’s a position that needs addressing least at Aston Villa.
Yet Aston Villa are raising eyebrows as they appear to make signing several new forwards their priority too.
West Ham already needed a new forward before losing Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to broken bones.
It leaves the Hammers relying on injury-prone 31-year-old Niclas Fullkrug – who is reportedly unsettled and could be sold this month – and 32-year-old misfit Danny Ings.
West Ham fans have been tortured over the club’s decision to sign Fullkrug over Aston Villa star Jhon Duran.
While Fullkrug has lived up to his reputation for being injury-prone by spending three months out with an Achilles and calf issue, Duran has been a revelation at Villa.
Compared to the Hammers, Aston Villa are spoilt for choice up front with Ollie Watkins and Duran battling it out.
Duran is the one that stings for the Hammers, though.
After doing the crossed Hammers in a live social media video amid talk of an imminent move to West Ham in the summer, Duran looked set for a move to east London.
Unthinkable West Ham plan coming together
Fans are still not over the fact Duran could and should be their number one striker after Tim Steidten decided to spread his £45m forward budget over the signings of Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.
Rather inevitably the Colombian scored the winner against the Irons when coming on as a substitute in the first game of the season.
Being on the bench in the first place is one thing that has continued to give West Ham hope they may be able to sign Duran in the future.
Especially with West Ham expecting to sell Mohammed Kudus for at least £85m in the summer.
It was recently claimed West Ham still have a long-term plan to try and sign the Aston Villa hot head.
Duran remains a long-term target for West Ham because the club believe his desire to be an undisputed main striker could play into their hands.
Relations between Duran and Unai Emery have at times been strained.
Duran conceded there was a chance he was going to move to the London Stadium.
And he even admitted his desire to be the main striker coupled with a lack of patience means he may still want that at another club
It is seen as significant then that Emery is being linked with moves for several new forwards – which will only serve to irritate Duran further.
First Villa were linked with a move to hijack West Ham’s own interest in PSG outcast Randal Kolo Muani.
Now that unthinkable West Ham plan could be coming together as Aston Villa make a mind-boggling double move.
Villa’s mind-boggling double move gives Hammers Duran hope
When it was claimed Duran remains top of West Ham’s striker target shortlist over the next two windows, it looked far-fetched.
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But are we now seeing why the Hammers feel there is still a chance.
Because Aston Villa are not only in negotiations to sign Dutch forward Donyell Malen from Dortmund but they are bidding for an international striker too.
Villa have made an improved bid of £15million plus add-ons for Borussia Dortmund’s Malen – once wanted at West Ham by Moyes.
The Dutchman can play as a striker but is used more off the left or right.
Now Villa are also in for Atalanta and Italy striker Meto Retegui according to La Repubblica.
Despite having Watkins and Duran vying for their number nine spot, Emery now wants Retegui too.
What West Ham would give for these kind of options and ambition.
But Villa going after the likes of Muani, Malen and now Retegui surely makes Duran’s departure even more likely.
So West Ham’s belief they may get another chance to sign the Colombian does not look so ridiculous after all.
West Ham will never have a better chance of signing Duran if Villa pull off these ambitious moves.
Duran is already miffed he has to compete with Watkins for a starting spot.
So he will not be happy at increased competition and has showed he can be a difficult character to handle when he’s not starting.
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