Ex Hammers assistant boss Stuart Pearce has shared his verdict on West Ham signing Aston Villa star Jhon Duran.
West Ham have become embroiled in a protracted move for Aston Villa star Jhon Duran.
There has been claim and counter claim about a deal between the Hammers and Villa.
The latest being that Aston Villa’s wantaway star has agreed terms with West Ham.
That means little unless Hammers technical director Tim Steidten can seal the deal with Villa over a fee, though.
And that remains the sticking point. So much so, West Ham have told Hammers News the deal is proving ‘tough’.
West Ham have a terrible record when it comes to striker signings over the last 14 years.
A whopping 52 forwards have been signed in that time with very few proving roaring successes.
Hammers face gamble if they bow to Villa’s demands
The latest flop, rather ironically, being the £15m arrival of Danny Ings from Aston Villa.
On the rare occasion West Ham have got it right, the strikers don’t tend to stick around too long.
The Hammers are hoping to change all that with the signing of 20-year-old Duran from Aston Villa.
The club see him as an investment who can be the number one striker for years to come.
West Ham have been far too reliant on the ageing Michail Antonio – who turns 34 next season.
An experiment to use Jarrod Bowen as a striker had mixed results.
And Ings simply has not worked out since signing from Villa in January 2023 – when he made way for Duran.
Now an ex Hammers assistant coach has revealed what he thinks of the situation.
Pearce on West Ham signing Villa star Duran
Stuart Pearce has shared his verdict on West Ham signing Aston Villa star Duran.
Pearce has represented the Hammers as a player and, over two different spells, as assistant manager too.
He says he understands West Ham’s reluctance to pay Villa’s £35m asking price.
But he suggests the Hammers might have to just bite the bullet and take the risk.
Because the Irons have left themselves overly reliant on a player on his last legs in Antonio.
“I think whenever you sign a centre-forward, it’s a gamble because you are normally paying top dollar,” Pearce said on talkSPORT (12.13pm) regarding West Ham’s links to Villa’s Duran.
“If you look at the history of (the club), certainly (Gianluca) Scamacca coming in recently for West Ham, and one or two other centre-forwards have not hit it off.
‘The clock is ticking on Antonio’
“They need competition for Michail Antonio. That’s been the case for a number of years.
“He has been a brilliant, brilliant servant for West Ham, but the clock’s ticking on Mic, and the injuries now and then.”
West Ham told Hammers News previously they are reluctant to pay Villa’s asking price for Duran as he was still relatively unproven at the top level.
But this is where the board have to trust and back the judgement of Steidten and his team.
Or else what is the point of having him in charge of recruitment.
Villa are perfectly entitled to set whatever fee they believe Duran is worth.
West Ham would clearly be taking a gamble on potential. But if it pays off and Duran goes on to become one of the hottest properties around, he could go for double that money in a few years.
If the move does not work out then West Ham may have to take a hit and sell him for less in the future.
But, as Pearce says, that’s the price on the ticket when you are in the market for a striker.
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