West Ham United have reportedly submitted a huge bid for Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran as they look to turn around their current poor form.
The Hammers have found themselves struggling this season and currently find themselves just 10 points above the relegation zone despite a solid 9th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
According to a report via the Athletic, the Hammers have submitted a bid worth £57 million in an attempt to persuade Aston Villa to sell their forward.
The Successes of Aston Villa and The Struggles of West Ham
This season for Aston Villa, in contrast, has been another one of success so far as they look to be making good on back-to-back Champions League qualifications with just a two-point gap between them and Manchester City in fourth.
This has, in no small part, been thanks to the seven league goals of Duran which have been the difference maker for The Villans with victories over City, Southampton, Everton, Leicester and the Hammers themselves.
League football is not the only place in which Duran has helped his side to new heights this season.
In the Champions League table, Villa are sat 5th which will be enough to automatically put them through to the round of 16 as it stands.
Duran has starred in this competition, scoring goals against RB Leipzig, Bologna, and Bayern Munich.
The striking department for West Ham has thus far told a very different story. Michail Antonio has only managed one league goal in 14 appearances and is now out until May with a broken leg, Niclas Fullkrug has only scored twice in nine games and is also currently injured and Danny Ings has only scored once in the Premier League this season.
The Hammer’s Latest Bid
It is unsurprising, therefore, that Duran may appear to be a very desirable figure for newly appointed head coach Graham Potter who returns to management after a less-than-successful short stint with Chelsea. The reported figure to have been offered to Villa is in the region of £57 million.
However, with Duran being still only 21 years old and this being mid-season, it seems unlikely that this bid will be enough to tempt the V Sports ownership group.
This is not the first time that West Ham has shown interest in the Colombian international.
Back in the summer transfer window, in July 2024, reports surfaced that the Hammers were interested in Duran following their 9th-place finish.
In a live stream on his Instagram account during this time, Duran expressed a strong desire to join West Ham by making an Irons gesture with his arms.
Duran was at the receiving end of disciplinary action for this but has since settled the issue with manager Unai Emery who will no doubt be desperate to keep hold of his striker and avoid a repeat of previous behaviour.
Whether or not this bid will bear fruit is yet to be seen but it seems unlikely that any party within Villa be it Duran, Emery or the ownership will be particularly interested in the move currently or at least not unless a far higher bid comes in.
The Villans paid a reported £18 million for the forward and so will no doubt want to make an even greater profit on their investment.