In a recent report, Sky Italia (via MilanNews.it) mentioned that West Ham United are keeping a keen eye on Aston Villa defender Jhon Duran this summer. It has been claimed that the Hammers are eyeing a move to bring the Colombian talent to the London Stadium later this year.
Duran’s Important Role At Villa Park Last Season
Duran put in a series of impressive performances as the focal point of Aston Villa’s attack in the previous campaign. The Colombian talent featured in 37 matches for the Villans last season, scoring eight goals in the process across multiple competitions.
The 20-year-old made most of his appearances off the bench which explains why he only averaged 0.9 shots, 0.2 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League. Duran was also a bit sloppy when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, based on his pass completion rate of 71.1% in the English top flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the West Midlands club will expire in the summer of 2028. Hence, West Ham would have to launch a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting him this off-season.
Is Duran A Good Fit For West Ham United
Duran is proficient at engineering some space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He has got the eye to play a few decisive passes on the offensive end of the field when he is playing regularly on the field.
The Colombian talent can be a good finisher in the final third when he is playing well on the pitch. However, he has to find a way to improve his link-up play up top. We can expect him to bring more firepower to West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui’s attack.
At 20, Duran has got a bright future ahead of him which makes him a decent fit for the East London club‘s needs in the short-term. He already has some Premier League experience under his belt and won’t take much time to settle into life at the London Stadium if West Ham manage to get him on board this summer. With all things considered, the Hammers would be wise to snap Duran up as he would help them compete across all fronts in the future.
