I think West Ham actually dodged a bullet by missing out on Jhon Duran

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Jhon Duran seemed destined to join West Ham United from Aston Villa at one point in the summer.

West Ham chased Jhon Duran pretty much all summer long, but we missed out on him in the end after Aston Villa demanded north of £40 million for the striker.

At one point, it seemed almost certain that Duran would join the Hammers from Villa, after he did the ‘crossed hammers’ sign during a live stream.

The 20-year-old was exactly the type of striker we needed at the London Stadium, what with his blistering pace and exceptional finishing ability.

However, we had to settle for Niclas Fullkrug in the end, and the less said about the German the better.

The 31-year-old was the complete opposite to what we actually needed.

West Ham never seem to get the striker signing right do we? It has become a real problem position for us.

However, could it be argued that things could have become even more problematic, had we signed Duran in the summer?

West Ham actually dodged Jhon Duran bullet

I was just as disappointed as everyone else when we failed to bring the Villa star to East London in the summer.

His form for Aston Villa this season has made the fact that we missed out on him even harder to swallow.

However, I believe we might actually have had a lucky escape.

His petulant behaviour out in his home country has hit the headlines this week.

According to a report from Antena 2, Duran ‘got into a verbal fight with journalists’.

The Aston Villa striker was asked what was missing after Colombia’s defeat to Ecaudor.

And Duran responded angrily by saying, “why aren’t you a coach?”.

He was then dragged away from the interview by a Colombian official, before things became overheated.

Here’s the thing, Duran is clearly an elite talent.

I’m sure he would have produced some absolute brilliance for us for a few months, had we signed him.

But I have no doubt in my mind that the Colombia international would have caused plenty of controversy as well.

Missing out on Duran a lucky escape for West Ham

I’m convinced that West Ham would only have been able to keep hold of him for one season, maybe two at the very most.

Jhon Duran undoubtedly would have pushed to leave West Ham for a Champions League club next summer, and I just feel like there would have been a constant circus surrounding him, had he moved to the London Stadium.

Whilst Fullkrug definitely wasn’t the correct signing, I’m not sure that Duran would have been either on balance.

His latest antics out in South America prove to me that he may have been very hard work.

The Colombian just seems to me like a player who’s extremely hard to keep happy all of the time.

I think we dodged a bullet if I’m being honest.

However, the need for a proper striker with real pace and movement still remains at West Ham.

Jonathan David is the one for me, and we should be going all out to sign the Canadian in the January transfer window.