Graeme Bailey reports that West Ham have made a new offer for the 20-year-old striker, surpassing the £30 million bid, plus a young player, they proposed during the summer transfer window [Fabrizio Romano].

Since his move to the London Stadium fell through, Duran has netted 12 goals in all competitions, while Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter have been left to rely on Niclas Fullkrug and Danny Ings.

Speaking live via talkSPORT [14 January, 4:37pm], Andy Goldstein said: “They offered £35million and Aston Villa wanted £40million, and now they’ve gone back going, ‘Do you remember that bid we put in?’

Bent simply said: “Yeah, it’s embarrassing,” as Goldstein continued: “Does Villa’s valuation of £60million feel a bit cheap? I think it does.

Bent replied: “Someone will pay it. If he continues at the rate he’s going, he’s looking really good. He had a bit of a malfunction against Newcastle, losing his head a bit after being sent off for studding someone in the back.

“Before that, he looked every bit as good of a player we thought he’d be. £60million is nothing – someone will pay that.”

West Ham United to finally strike deal for Jhon Duran?

Potter is urgently seeking a new striker before the winter transfer window closes next month, with Michail Antonio still recovering from a car crash and Fullkrug facing another injury setback.

Although Danny Ings remains in the squad, he struggled for appearances under Lopetegui and appears to have slipped down the pecking order, especially after the latest injury blow.

David Sullivan was willing to spend during the summer transfer window, bringing in several new players, but Duran wasn’t one of them.

For reasons that remain unclear, the Hammers didn’t budge by a few million to secure the talented striker’s signature, a decision that has faced heavy criticism from fans.

Even as a backup to Ollie Watkins, Duran has scored seven Premier League goals, despite starting only four of his 18 appearances, with five more goals in all competitions.

Tim Steidten must surely regret not finalizing the transfer last window.

Unai Emery has confirmed that Aston Villa is nearing the completion of a £21 million deal to sign Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund.

The Netherlands international is set to join for an initial fee of £19 million, a move that will also facilitate Jaden Philogene’s transfer to Ipswich for £21 million.

Villa remains interested in further signings to bolster their squad for the second half of the season. However, Emery acknowledged that new additions would depend on player departures to ensure compliance with profit and sustainability regulations.

Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza is reportedly on Villa’s radar, though a potential transfer of Diego Carlos to Fenerbahce appears to be falling through.

“We are in the transfer window and we are trying to do some movements,” said Emery. “One of those movements is the possibility to sign Malen. In case Malen signs for us, it is close, we have to leave one player, which is Jaden [Philogene].

“We are alert and we want to always be ready to improve the squad with the players and, of course, sometimes some players want to leave us for different circumstances as well.

“We are moving forward with some circumstances like I am telling you from today until the last day of the window.

“If we are changing one player, Malen and Jaden, that’s the first. Maybe two or three players more, we can do another deal of some players leaving and some players joining us.”

Diego Carlos will miss Wednesday’s match against Everton due to injury. Ross Barkley (calf), John McGinn (hamstring), and Pau Torres (foot) are also sidelined.

Among the three, McGinn is the nearest to making a comeback but is expected to remain out for approximately another week.

David Sullivan has regained control of West Ham’s transfer dealings this January, and many fans are already noticing the shift.

Frustrated with how Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui spent £155m in the summer, Sullivan, the majority owner, has taken back full control of signings.

While it was always Sullivan and the board who had the final say on deals suggested by Steidten, Lopetegui, and David Moyes, Sullivan made it clear that he is now in charge once again, with input from Steidten and the manager.

This move has divided opinion among West Ham supporters, especially with some of the players the club is reportedly targeting.

While Sullivan’s return to the transfer scene invites potential criticism, it’s worth noting that he was responsible for securing one of the summer’s standout signings, Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutch winger has impressed fans with his exciting performances, and at just 22, he fits the profile of the type of player many expected West Ham to build around. Best of all, the Hammers managed to sign Summerville for a reasonable £26m.

Now, Sullivan will be judged on what he accomplishes in this window. The top priorities are bringing in a striker and a midfielder, with a potential need for a defender depending on the status of Jean-Clair Todibo’s abductor injury.

Over the past week, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of strikers linked with the club, prompting some cynics to claim that Sullivan is resorting to a “scattergun approach.”

Ultimately, West Ham’s success this month will come down to who they manage to sign, not the noise surrounding it. Heading into January, the club’s owners made it clear that West Ham is nearing its PSR limit and would need to sell players in order to buy.

This has led to an increased focus on loan moves, with many reports indicating that West Ham is looking to strengthen without exceeding financial constraints.

“We are up to our FFP maximum,” the senior London Stadium contact told Hammers News.

“So unless we increase income or move players there is very little room to do much.

“But never say never.”

Several players, including Edson Alvarez, Vladimir Coufal, Guido Rodriguez, and others, have been linked with moves away from West Ham. Niclas Fullkrug was also rumored to be on his way out until a hamstring injury sidelined him for the next three months.

Against this backdrop, fans were surprised by transfer news that surfaced yesterday.

David Sullivan has found himself in a tough spot after a major West Ham transfer leak. Football correspondent Graeme Bailey revealed that West Ham had made a fresh £40m bid for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

However, Bailey later informed Hammers News that West Ham’s offer was rejected, as Villa is asking for between £65-70m to even consider selling the Colombian forward.

This asking price is £30m more than what West Ham could have secured Duran for in the summer before Tim Steidten opted to allocate funds for other signings, including Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.

Interestingly, Bailey also mentioned that Duran himself would be open to a move, as he is eager to secure a first-choice role.

Since news of the Duran bid broke, Sullivan has confirmed the move to Claret and Hugh.

“We’ve tried, but PSG and a few foreign clubs have outbid us,” the site was told.

“We never mention to supporters failed bids as it frustrates them.”