West Ham and Arsenal have been previously involved in the £105 million transfer of England star midfielder Declan Rice one year ago. While Mikel Arteta's Premier League title favourites and Julen Lopetegui's West Ham have had somewhat different starts to their Premier League campaign, the two sides could be involved in the race to sign an in-form Premier League star. According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are huge admirers of Aston Villa's prolific goalscorer Jhon Duran and view the in-form striker as their long-term centre forward.
Their interest in Duran stems from the fact that first choice centre forward Gabriel Jesus has had frequent injuries since arriving at the Emirates Stadium in 2022. Although the 27-year-old Brazil international has recovered from his injury, his form and fitness haven't been convincing and other forwards such as Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have showcased more consistency and creativity for Arteta's side in the attack. Hence, the former Manchester City star could depart Arsenal in January or at the end of the season and the report suggests that Duran can be brought as the four-time Premier League winner's replacement.
Arsenal tipped to sign £60 million West Ham transfer target
Moreover, Duran's encouraging form as already seen West Ham fans wondering why a deal wasn't agreed to bring the 20-year-old to the London Stadium, and now the Colombia international can join Premier League rivals Arsenal as well. Even after missing out on signing Duran in the summer transfer window, West Ham were expected to make another move for Duran in January due to his lack of playing time at Aston Villa, however that could depend on whether Arsenal enters into transfer talks with Aston Villa regarding his signature. If that is the case, Duran could prefer a move to Mikel Arteta's side who are aiming for the Premier League and are also playing in the UEFA Champions League, over the Hammers who are aiming to qualify for playing European football from the next season.
Further West Ham's new striker Niclas Fullkrug is currently recovering from his injury picked up during the previous international break and thus, has missed five consecutive matches for Julen Lopetegui's side. Thus, the Hammers will want Fullkrug to return in a top goalscoring form to help West Ham continue their winning momentum in the Premier League.