West Ham can finally grant Graham Potter transfer wish as concrete January target made 'available'

West Ham might finally get their chance to complete a transfer they wanted to wrap up in the January transfer window. The Hammers have a big summer ahead as they look to strengthen and allow Graham Potter to put his own stamp on his squad.

The West Ham chiefs will have been disappointed by what was produced in the second half of last season, and Potter may find himself walking a tightrope from early in the season if results don’t go in the way of the Iron.

New signings will help Potter start on the right foot, and the club may get the opportunity to hand him a signing he is said to have wanted in January. It was reported at the time that the Iron bid more than £57million in a bid to sign Duran from Aston Villa, but they were eventually outbid by Al-Nassr, who won the race to sign the promising striker.

Explaining the move, Duran said: “Money doesn’t move me. I'm happy with this step. Many people speculate, but only my family, my agent, and I know the reasons behind my decision. It’s not a step back, the league is competitive with many stars. People who think otherwise should watch me play on the field.”

Since then, though, it has been claimed that Duran has failed to settle in Saudi Arabia, living in Bahrain due to living with his girlfriend and Saudi traditions when it comes to living with unmarried partners. Al-Riyadh are now reporting that Al-Nassr are willing to loan out Duran this summer due to the player ‘struggling mentally and personally’.

West Ham will surely be interested in a loan deal for Duran if the report proves accurate. The Hammers need a striker this summer and they could have the opportunity to sign a one that proven himself in the Premier League and without a big outlay. There is also the likelihood of a permanent deal in the future, too, with Duran surely not wanting to return to Saudi Arabia if he is that unhappy there.

Emery’s disappointment says a lot

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery admitted he was disappointed to lose Duran, who scored 12 times in the Premier League for Villa. "I can be disappointed a little bit," Emery admitted after the deal was completed. "My thoughts always his improvement here can give him the opportunity to play as well. Maybe in Europe with some of the best teams in the world.

"But Saudi Arabia, they are improving a lot. They are paying well. They are increasing the level of the league. I accept some players leave for there. Personally, I worked with him, trying to involve him here. Each player is different, different culture, different education. It’s difficult to get the same feeling from different players. I accept it. I can be disappointed myself. I have challenges with the players who are here with us. Hopefully, in two or three days’ time we can enjoy two or three more players with us."

Emery added: "It helps a lot but the decision [to leave] was more for him [Duran]. He decided he preferred to leave. Of course we tried to work with him for two years here, trying to get the best from him, working hard every day with him.”

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