West Ham could face issues with Jhon Duran’s agent if they try to sign him on loan from Al-Nassr, according to reports.
The Colombian international is unsettled in Saudi Arabia and it has been claimed he could be allowed to leave just six months after being signed from Aston Villa for £64m.
However, insider sourceClaret & Hugh claim that Duran’s representative was left so “furious” with the Hammers’ hierarchy after a move to the London Stadium collapsed a couple of years ago that he has “vowed” never to talk with the club again.
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That means their chances of recruiting him from Al-Nassr are very low, unless other potential suitors drop out of the race.
West Ham are among 6 Premier League clubs who want the striker
Duran’s availability has alerted a whole host of different teams, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Irons could face competition from at least 5 other suitors.
Fulham and Wolves are said to be likely candidates, and you can’t rule out Chelsea either, considering they entered talks with Villa to sign him last summer.
Due to the level of interest being shown in Duran, it seems unlikely that he will end up at Graham Potter’s team.
Are there any alternatives to Duran?
A long list of No.9s have been linked with the Irons over the past couple of months, including Saint-Etienne’s Lucas Stassin, Lille’s Jonathan David, Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Hamburg’s Davie Selke and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey.
The main issue is finances. With the exception of David, they would all cost a sizeable amount in terms of transfer fees. If Duran is available on loan, he would be a very attractive target but the clash with his agent may make a deal impossible to negotiate.
In other news, a West Ham target has spoken out about a potential £10m move to the London club