A major twist in talks at Aston Villa and Chelsea over strikers surely means West Ham must be close to signing number nine.
West Ham could finally get their big striker target after major developments at Aston Villa and Chelsea.
The Hammers have been linked with a host of strikers this summer including Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, Chelsea’s Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
West Ham and Aston Villa have been involved in protracted talks over young Colombian forward Duran – who has also been linked with Chelsea.
Earlier this month a journalist revealed to Hammers News that West Ham still desperately want Duran by Friday’s deadline.
But, ironically, ex Aston Villa striker Danny Ings’ refusal to leave West Ham has been blocking their attempts to do so.
A few weeks ago Duran himself intimated he wanted to join West Ham by doing the crossed Hammers in a live video on social media.
Big breaking news of Villa and Chelsea striker talks
That angered Villa and many of their supporters. It also seemed to put paid to any hopes Chelsea had of adding the 20-year-old to their bloated and expensively assembled squad.
But it was all forgotten when Duran came on for Aston Villa against the Hammers in their season opener at the London Stadium and rather inevitably scored the winner.
During his celebrations Duran appeared to gesture to the Aston Villa fans that he was sorry and now wanted to stay.
After the game, though, Aston Villa’s manager Unai Emery was not necessarily convinced that will be the case.
Emery gave the Hammers real hope a deal could still be done for Duran before the window closes.
Yesterday a top level club insider gave an exciting response about West Ham signing Duran before deadline.
Now there have been two major developments at Villa Park and Stamford Bridge.
Moves surely mean West Ham are close to signing number nine
And it all points to one thing for the Hammers.
Breaking news of Aston Villa and Chelsea striker talks surely means West Ham are close to signing number nine.
Speculation is intensifying that Chelsea are edging closer to signing former Hammers target Toney.
Now Caught Offside Aston Villa are “open to the idea of taking a new striker in the final days of the transfer window” with Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson “among the preferred names” on their list.
The report claims Villa have been following Jackson for over a year.
“Evaluations are currently underway to understand whether there’s room for concrete negotiations to take place, and a move for the Blues striker achievable, before the window slams shut for another few months,” the report states.
This is hands down the best news yet for West Ham’s hopes of signing Duran.
Hammers, Villa and Chelsea in striker transfer triangle?
If Jackson arrives at Villa it will push Duran even further down the pecking order behind him and Ollie Watkins.
The reason this should excite West Ham fans is because it could genuinely have legs.
Jackson played under Emery at Villarreal.
And Villa are clearly in the market for a new striker having chased another West Ham and Chelsea target Samu Omorodion before he joined Porto.
It was always stated that a move for Duran would happen late in the window if it was going to happen at all.
Now these striker deals at Chelsea and Aston Villa suggest the door is wide open for West Ham.
That’s if – and it’s a big if at this stage – the Hammers can offload two or three players themselves in the next 48 hours or so.
Things just got very interesting indeed for the Irons, Villa and Chelsea in this intriguing striker transfer triangle.
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