West Ham make position perfectly clear to Aston Villa over Jhon Duran if Niclas Fullkrug signs

West Ham switched attentions from Aston Villa star Jhon Duran to Niclas Fullkrug but there have been reports they could sign both.

A week ago West Ham looked like they were closing in on signing Jhon Duran from Aston Villa.

The frustrated Colombian striker had just done the crossed Hammers in a live social media video.

And speculation was intensifying that West Ham were edging closer to reaching an agreement with Aston Villa on a fee.

The Premier League rivals, who meet in the opening game of the new season, had been locked in talks for weeks up to that point.

Hammers News exclusively revealed West Ham refused to meet Villa’s £35m asking price for a player relatively unproven at the top level.

This week proved a breaking point for West Ham, though, when Aston Villa rejected two more bids for Duran.

Fullkrug and Duran for West Ham?

Fed up, the Hammers turned their attentions to Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug instead.

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The move for such a contrasting profile of striker – and one 11 years Duran’s senior – raised suspicison among West Ham and Aston Villa fans, though.

Conspiracy theories were doing the rounds that the Fullkrug bid was nothing more than a ruse to force Villa’s hand over Duran.

If that was the case it seemed it might be working when Aston Villa were linked with three new back-up strikers this week.

The Fullkrug move looks very much legitimate, though, with the Germany ace touching down in London for a West Ham medical today.

There have been claims made that the Hammers could actually end up signing both Fullkrug and Duran.

So Hammers News has sought to clarify that striker situation by speaking to the top spokesman inside the club this evening.

Now West Ham have made their position perfectly clear to Aston Villa over Duran if Fullkrug signs.

The key senior London Stadium contact was asked whether Fullkrug signing would mean the end of West Ham’s pursuit of Duran.

The response was clear – but leaving the door ajar should the move for the German collapse for any reason.

“Yes, signing Fullkrug would end our Duran interest,” the top West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.

“If it happens.”

So there you have it West Ham and Aston Villa fans.

Its seems the pursuit of Duran will be over if Fullkrug does indeed complete his £23m move.

Although whether that situation would change if Michail Antonio and or Danny Ings left is open to debate.

Speaking of debates, one has been raging among West Ham fans over who they would rather see the club sign between Duran and Fullkrug.

What’s clear is that with Duran, West Ham would be investing in potential.

With Fullkrug it is very much for the here and now.

One key aspect that should be noted, though, is the view among some that Duran could be West Ham’s striker for years to come.

Because the reality is if Duran came to east London and did brilliantly, he would attract interest from Europe’s elite.

Particularly given the dearth of striker talent available worldwide.

And given his frustrated actions at Villa, who is to say he would not agitate to leave West Ham in a couple of years should bigger clubs come in?

At least now Villa and West Ham know exactly where they stand.

It’s Fullkrug or Duran for the Hammers and not both.

For now at least.