TBR Football can confirm that Jose Mourinho has thwarted West Ham’s plans to sign a new striker.
West Ham are looking to strengthen their squad this summer following a disappointing campaign.
After a difficult spell under Julen Lopetegui, who was eventually sacked mid-season, West Ham turned to former Chelsea boss Graham Potter. The Englishman managed to stabilise the team and guide them to a 14th-place finish.
Now aiming for a top-half finish next season, Potter is keen to reinforce his squad, and a former Aston Villa striker was among the club’s targets.
Jhon Duran in action for Al-Nassr
Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
West Ham wanted to sign Jhon Duran but Jose Mourinho has won the race
TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can confirm that West Ham did have an interest in a deal for Jhon Duran.
The Hammers came close to landing him last season as well, but the deal did not work out, and he moved to Al-Nassr.
The interest remains this summer and TBR Football understands that Duran’s representatives spoke with a number of clubs and West Ham were one of those; however, Fenerbahce have agreed a huge package to land the player on an initial loan.
The Turkish side have agreed to cover his wages, which we are told is over £300,000-a-week, whilst also paying a loan fee of around £10m, and that sort of package was just not something that West Ham could consider matching.
Duran, who has failed to settle in Saudi, spoke with Jose Mourinho at length about the move and a deal is likely to be finalised in the coming days.
Jhon Duran’s prolific goalscoring form
Duran has been labelled a ‘top finisher’ after making a strong impact in both domestic and European competitions despite often starting from the bench under Unai Emery.
The Colombian forward scored 7 goals in 20 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa last season, starting just four of those games. He also netted twice in two League Cup outings and added three more goals in seven Champions League appearances.
His impressive goal-scoring form drew significant interest during the January transfer window, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr ultimately securing his signature in a stunning £71m deal.
Duran continued his outstanding form in Saudi Arabia, scoring 12 in 18 games for Al-Nassr. However, despite his success on the pitch, he struggled to settle off it, resulting in a loan move to Turkey.