West Ham in "active talks" for French striker after a '£40m bid rejected' by Aston Villa
West Ham had a bid rejected for a striker they previously tried to sign during the summer transfer window.
New West Ham manager Graham Potter will be working hard to improve his squad at the London Stadium in the January transfer window, in order to help climb into the top half of the table. Potter earnt his first win as West Ham boss against Fulham on Tuesday night, with a 3-2 win over Fulham - the first time that the Hammers have scored three goals in a game this season.
They now sit 12th in the Premier League table, 10 points above the relegation zone, and just two points away from the top half of the league. The former Chelsea and Brighton manager will be pleased with his start to life at West Ham. He is now aiming to strengthen by adding a striker in the January window amid injuries to Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug.
The Hammers reportedly decided to re-ignite their interest in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, who has scored 12 goals so far this season for Unai Emery’s side. According to TalkSport, West Ham had a bid in the region of £40m rejected for Duran this week, it is believes to be nowhere near the valuation that Villa have placed on the Columbian.
Duran attracted interest from both the Hammers and Chelsea during the summer transfer window, even teasing a move to the London Stadium by doing an ‘Irons’ hand sign on an Instagram live. The report suggests that Villa would need to receive an offer closer to £60m in order to consider selling the 21-year-old. Duran is currently competing with England international Ollie Watkins for the first-team striker spot at Villa Park, he wants more game time.
West Ham find £25m Jhon Duran alternative from Ligue 1
Seeing as the Hammers would have to spend big if they want to tempt Aston Villa to sell Duran, they have reportedly identified an alternative target to the Columbian. According to a report by ESPN, the Hammers are in “active talks” with Marseille striker Elye Wahi, who the French side only acquired during the summer transfer window for £25m, from fellow Ligue 1 side Lens.
However, Wahi has lost his starting spot at Marseille to former Brentford and Everton striker Neal Maupay. The report says that the French club could consider a sale should West Ham’s bid match its valuation.
The 22-year-old has scored three goals and contributed one assist in 14 appearances since joining the French club in the summer. Graham Potter was also said to have been keen on Wahi while he was Brighton’s manager.
Potter could make a loan move for a Premier League striker
In their search for a striker, the Hammers have also been linked to Brighton attacker Evan Ferguson, who previously played under Potter whilst he was the manager at the Amex Stadium.
Ferguson has fallen out of favour at Brighton this season, after having injury problems over the past year. He has made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring just one goal in that time. The 20-year-old has also been linked to Arsenal and Chelsea, but as things stand, a loan move to West Ham seems the most likely for the Irish international.