Although West Ham is close to completing a deal for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips, it appears that they will not stop there. Aston Villa is also expected to be active in the final week, with players being linked to moves in and out of the club. However, David Moyes’ side has been in need of a prolific striker for several years. Despite multiple attempts to replace or provide competition for Michail Antonio, they have not been successful. Gianluca Scamacca was sold last summer, and Danny Ings may be heading for the same fate. With Antonio injured and Ings struggling to prove his worth, West Ham has made a bid for an Aston Villa striker. Journalist Jacob Steinberg reported that West Ham had made a loan inquiry for Jhon Duran, but Villa rejected the bid, stating that they needed to have a replacement sorted first. Steinberg also mentioned Chelsea’s interest in Duran but stated that they had not made any firm moves yet.
The forward has demonstrated exceptional potential on occasions, validating his acquisition from the MLS. Nonetheless, Emery appears to have deemed Duran unprepared to provide backup for Watkins this season, and the stakes are high. Should Chelsea secure a deal for Duran, it’s possible that West Ham and Aston Villa will vie for the same targets in the final week. Armando Broja has been linked to both teams recently. With less than a week left in January, it appears that there could be a significant shuffle of strikers.
