West Ham have been plotting an ambitious move to sign a new striker in the January transfer window but now Aston Villa are trying to hijack it.
West Ham are in desperate need of a new forward.
Aston Villa are spoilt for choice up front with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran battling it out.
West Ham fans are still not over the fact Duran could and should be their number one striker after Tim Steidten elected to spread his £45m forward budget over the signings of Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.
To rub salt in the wound, Duran has been sensational for Aston Villa since.
He rather inevitably scored the winner against the Hammers when coming on as a substitute in the first game of the season.
Being sub in the first place is one thing that has continued to give West Ham hope they may be able to sign Duran in the future.
Especially with West Ham expecting to sell Mohammed Kudus for at least £85m in the summer.
It was recently claimed Duran remains a long-term target for West Ham, who believe his desire to be the undisputed main striker could play into their hands.
Villa swoop to hijack ambitious West Ham move
Relations between Duran and Unai Emery have at times been strained.
The Colombian opened up on his failed West Ham move just over a month ago.
Duran conceded there was a chance he was going to move to the London Stadium.
And he said his desire to be the main striker coupled with a lack of patience means he may still want that at another club.
Emery continues to be linked with moves for strikers – which will only serve to irritate Duran further.
Now Aston Villa have swooped to hijack an ambitious West Ham move but it’s great news either way.
The Hammers have been linked with a loan move for Randal Kolo Muani of PSG and France.
Journalist Graeme Bailey exclusively told Hammers News that West Ham are one of a number of Premier League clubs exploring a move for Kolo Muani.
Bailey stated Kolo Muani, who was inches away from scoring the winner in the last World Cup final, had come onto the radar of technical director Steidten.
Given PSG paid £65m – with a potential further £10-15m in add-ons – the links seemed somewhat far-fetched initially.
Muani claim is great news for Hammers either way
But soon after Bailey’s revelation, L’Équipe stated the 26-year-old had reached a point of no return in Paris.
Kolo Muani gave the green light to leaving PSG in January in a hugely encouraging development for West Ham last month.
But L’Equipe are now claiming Aston Villa are the new “surprise” name in the frame for the striker.
Given Villa have Champions League football to offer, that looks like bad news for West Ham.
But crucially Bailey previously told Hammers News that the east Londoners have a major advantage over rival suitors – which now includes Villa – in that they can offer him what he craves most, guaranteed game time.
Indeed at West Ham it would likely be a guaranteed starting spot, let alone game time.
That would not necessarily be the case at Villa Park.
Even if Kolo Muani did opt for a move to Aston Villa, though, it could be win-win for the Hammers.
Because Duran would face even more competition, meaning West Ham might have a better chance of finally getting their man.
West Ham simply must sign a new forward.
Michail Antonio faces over a year out and Jarrod Bowen is out for two months with a fractured foot.
Danny Ings’ face doesn’t fit and he is out of contract at the end of the season too.
And summer arrival Fullkrug is reportedly unsettled in England and wants to leave with West Ham open to selling if they recoup their original outlay.
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