Aston Villa have rejected a £57m bid from West Ham for striker John Duran.
Villa are unwilling to sell and understandably they value Duran at more than £70m.
West Ham have long been interested in Duran, who recently extended his contract until 2030, and new West Ham boss Graham Potter is known to be a big fan.
The Hammers tried to sign Duran in the summer but failed to meet Villa’s valuation.
The 21-year-old has scored seven goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season, with Ollie Watkins used as Unai Emery’s preferred striker.
He moved to Villa Park from MLS side Chicago Fire in January 2023, but only seven of his 54 league appearances have come as a starter.
Can Villa do enough to back up Duran?
Duran is currently Villa’s back-up striker for Ollie Watkins
Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter.
“West Ham are testing the water with this bid. It is clear that they believe that a sum close to that offer will be enough to at least tempt Villa to the negotiating table.
It wasn’t long ago that Duran was naively throwing around an Irons sign Instagram: live after hearing of summer interest from the Londoners, he quickly turned it down and has since proved his worth to Villa with 12 goals in all competitions.
“Ollie Watkins thinks the pair can play together,” he said after Villa’s draw with Arsenal on Saturday. However, the man to be convinced is Unai Emery, who seems reluctant to start Watkins and Duran as reliable. partnership.
“Questions remain whether 602 minutes of Premier League football is really enough to sustain Duran’s growing appetite. This is a striker who can lead a number of top clubs and his path is currently blocked by Watkins’ reliability and experience.”
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