Jhon Duran's agents urge Aston Villa to accept West Ham bid, but is it too late?

The agents of Jhon Duran are urging Aston Villa to accept West Ham United's offer for the Colombian striker, as the London club closes in on a deal with Borussia Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug.

West Ham initially put talks for Duran on hold after Villa refused to lower their asking price, shifting their focus to Fullkrug. However, Duran's agents are now pressuring Villa to accept West Ham's proposal, concerned that their client might be stuck at Villa Park if the Fullkrug deal goes through.

Manager Julen Lopetegui is determined to strengthen his squad, especially in the striker position, as he aims to guide West Ham back to European competition. The club has already been active in the summer transfer window, securing the signings of former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Max Kilman and Palmeiras' Luis Guilherme.

The pursuit of Fullkrug, who scored 15 goals in 46 appearances for Borussia Dortmund last season, has complicated matters for Duran. According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee, the club may revisit a move for Duran in the January transfer window if Villa maintains their current asking price. Financial limitations make it improbable for West Ham to secure both Fullkrug and Duran at the same time.

This situation presents West Ham with a dilemma. If Villa accepts their offer for Duran, the club will have to choose between proceeding with both deals or selecting one. There is speculation that one of the deals could potentially be structured as a loan.

This decision is crucial for West Ham as they seek to address their striker issues, which were evident last season when right-winger Jarrod Bowen was often deployed as a striker due to Michail Antonio's knee problems and Danny Ings' struggles to lead the line.

West Ham have agreed to a £27 million deal with Borussia Dortmund for Fullkrug, and the German striker has been granted permission to leave Dortmund's training camp in Switzerland for talks with an unnamed club.

The pressure from Duran's agents adds another layer of complexity to this transfer saga as the agents feel Duran will not feature in any matches for Villa if he does not leave because of his actions off the field recently. If he does not play, his value will go down significantly and the interest in Duran from clubs will fade.

With the Fullkrug deal nearing completion, the coming days will be pivotal in determining whether Duran will join the Hammers or if his future will be revisited in January.