West Ham are seemingly keen to add to their frontline this summer, with Aston Villa striker John Duran being among their top targets before the new Premier League season gets underway. Duran has been with Villa since January 2023, and has found regular game time hard to come by, which is understandable given the impressive form shown by first-choice striker Ollie Watkins.
It remains to be seen as to whether Duran features in Unai Emery’s plans for the upcoming campaign, but it’s recently been reported that Villa are willing to let the Colombia international leave the club for a fee in the region of £40m. However, it remains to be seen as to whether West Ham are willing to stump up the hefty asking price that Aston Villa are demanding from interested parties. West Ham finished ninth in the Premier League last season, and the Hammers are priced at 5/4 to finish in the top-half of the table for the upcoming 2024/25 league campaign.
A move to West Ham could be tempting for Duran, especially if the Hammers could offer him regular first-team football in the starting XI. Everton are also rumoured to be keen on signing the forward, in what seems to be a two-horse race to sign the Aston Villa man.
With the hefty asking price from Villa, we’ll take you through three alternatives that West Ham could turn to this summer if a move for Duran was to fall through.
Elye Wahi
Wahi might not be a name that many fans will be familiar with, as he’s played all of his football over in France. He caught the eye early in his career with Montpellier, which saw him earn a move to RC Lens in August 2023. The 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength since then, and netted 12 goals and was on hand to provide four assists for his RC Lens team-mates in all competitions last term.
RC Lens were unable to build on their hugely impressive league campaign in the 2022/23 season, as they finished seventh in the French top-flight last term, but Wahi’s performances caught the eye for all the right reasons. At the age of 21, he’s still got his best years ahead of him, and would be a shrewd addition to the West Ham team.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta had a brilliant season with Crystal Palace last term, as he scored 16 goals in 35 league appearances for the Eagles, as they finished tenth in the Premier League table. Mateta is currently with the French Olympics team, and will be hoping that he can win a gold medal with them, which is certainly an achievable target given the quality within their ranks compared to other teams in the tournament.
He’s contracted with Crystal Palace until the summer of 2026, and so you’d imagine that the Eagles won’t be in a rush to sell him anytime soon, but the right price could tempt them potentially. Mateta would bring power and a keen eye for goal, which is exactly what they need right now.
Josh Sargent
The American international started his career with German side Werder Bremen, before making the move to Carrow Road with Norwich City. Sargent has gone from strength to strength in front of goal with the Canaries, and scored 16 goals in 30 appearances, which was an impressive record when you have to consider that he spent three months of the 2023/24 season out injured after ankle surgery.
He finished the campaign strongly though, and could be worth a punt for a team such as West Ham, as he’s earned a move to the Premier League.
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