Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has sparked an angry response from supporters amid ongoing speculation linking him with a move to West Ham Utd this summer.
The 20-year-old joined us in January 2023 from Chicago Fire, and has since gone on to score eight goals in 49 appearances for the club.
READ MORE: Confirmed Villa squad for USA pre-season tour: Notable absentees but double boost
While he is undoubtedly talented and has a lot of potential, in addition to his inability to displace Ollie Watkins or others in Unai Emery’s preferred starting XI, his inconsistent form coupled with his off-the-field antics have continued to raise doubts over his future at Villa.
From his social media activity in deleting all things Villa related to comments from Emery and captain John McGinn last season which were concerning in that they raised question marks over Duran’s ability to adapt and his attitude, it feels as though an exit would likely be the ideal outcome for all concerned.
The Colombian international once again spoke about interest from other clubs this past week, as he welcomed the idea of a potential move elsewhere in this transfer window.
“I take it very calmly with the help of my agent and my dad, we are taking everything little by little,” Duran said to ESPN Deportes when asked about the possibility of moving clubs. “That my name is mentioned with such big teams, it is very important for my career. I’m happy that there are these rumours and let’s hope that something concrete happens.”
With West Ham now emerging as the most likely destination given speculation has suggested that the two clubs are in ongoing talks over a transfer, Duran went on a live feed on Instagram on Friday night and dropped a clear hint of where he hopes to go, as per the video below.
🚨 Jhon Durán on his Instagram live making it clear he wants to join West Ham. ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/H8rUydDRB5
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 27, 2024
It’s another distraction and questionable move from the youngster in a growing list of bizarre decisions that he and his representatives have made through this process, but ultimately as he continues to post on social media and drop hints about his future, his Villa teammates are hard at work in the USA on our pre-season tour preparing for the upcoming campaign.
If Emery doesn’t want him back with the squad and can use the funds generated from his sale to bring in a more suited option for his attack, it’s hoped that Monchi can reach an agreement in negotiations with West Ham, who seemingly are the most likely destination for Duran as interest from elsewhere appears to have dissipated in recent weeks.
The Villa boss has had the maverick striker at his disposal now for 18 months. Given the improvement and development we’ve seen with almost every other player he’s worked with in the group, it arguably says a lot about Duran’s fit for us that he hasn’t had more of an impact and shown more quality outside of some big moments, despite the difficultly of getting more game time ahead of Watkins.
In turn, with West Ham looking to bolster their attacking options and Duran does seem a better fit for them, the desired outcome will hopefully be reached in the coming days to ensure we get the best deal possible for a player who evidently isn’t fully committed to us and isn’t suited to what Emery is building.
I think Duran has a goal every 105 minutes of play? That’s not bad for a young back up striker!