In the aftermath of West Ham United's 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth, goalscorer Jarrod Bowen said that his side is "in a real good moment".
United now face a daunting trip to Anfield in the fourth round but have started the Julen Lopetegui era with promise, losing to Aston Villa in a hard-fought opener before defeating Crystal Palace in south London.
Bowen's scrappy, contentious winner is adding depth to a side working toward the fluency and form of European competition contenders.
However, Lopetegui and his coterie are aware that the transfer window is not yet closed – despite having spent over £120m already – and could look to strengthen with one, or perhaps even two, signings.
West Ham transfer news
Rumours around Tammy Abraham's possible transfer to West Ham have zipped around over the past several months, but Fabrizio Romano has debunked such claims, with the Roma striker headed toward Milan.
However, the transfer guru has also provided a more positive recent update for the west Londoners, claiming that Jhon Duran could still leave Aston Villa before Friday's deadline.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano confirmed in the positive when quizzed on whether the fiery Colombian could be one to keep an eye on, acknowledging long-standing interest from Chelsea and West Ham, saying they had been keen 'for weeks'.
West Ham and Villa could not agree on financial terms in July and thus the move was scuppered, but Unai Emery's outfit's £40m demand suggests that several departures would be needed if a last-gasp transfer was to be completed.
Why Jhon Duran would be perfect for West Ham
It was in the script. West Ham lost to Villa on the opening Premier League weekend despite Lucas Paqueta restoring parity before the break. The match-winner? Duran of course, having come within a whisker of moving to the London Stadium only one month earlier.
It was only fitting: Duran is a ferocious and unflappable forward, still only 20 years old but demonstrating excellent shooting qualities that could yet harden into something with the tag of world-class.
As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored (0.89) and the top 9% for total shots taken (3.90) per 90.
He's been described as a "nightmare for defenders" by Villa captain John McGinn and it's clear to see why. The South American sensation is fast on the rise; West Ham know all about his quality, for better and for worse, and he must be signed.
Just imagine him & Jarrod Bowen
Duran isn't exactly surrounded by a poor mix of forwards at Villa Park, but he might just find his most dynamic partner yet in Hammers captain Bowen.
1.
Jarrod Bowen
44
20
2.
Mohammed Kudus
45
14
3.
Tomas Soucek
52
10
4.
Lucas Paqueta
53
8
5.
Michail Antonio
32
7
5.
James Ward-Prowse
51
7
Sure, the England international is one of the finest strikers around, having scored twice across three matches so far this season after hitting 20 strikes last year, but he's also a multi-skilled player and could be the perfect accompanying member to bring Duran's skillset to the fore.
Indeed, the right-sided forward, 27, has placed six key passes across the opening two Premier League matches of the season, with his ball-playing ability leading pundit Joe Cole to hail him as "one of the most in-form players in the league" one year ago.
While West Ham have a long way to go under Lopetegui's wing, with Bowen performing as the offensive linchpin, the side's goals can be realised and a route can be identified back into continental competition.
Now imagine sticking Duran at the head of the ship. With his penetrative movements and an endless tank of energy, we could witness the start of something special, should this fantastic finish to the window be completed.
In the race: West Ham weighing up move for "Rolls-Royce" Soler alternative
This 35-cap England star could be a shrewd addition to the team…
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 28, 2024
