West Ham United and Everton have joined Manchester United in the race to sign highly-rated Colombian striker Jhon Duran in January, according to The Sun.
The 18-year-old joined Chicago Fire from Envigado at the start of the year. He had a good debut season with eight goals and six assists from 30 outings.
Earlier last month, it was revealed that Red Devils were keeping a close eye on him, but they now face competition from the Hammers and the Toffees.
The Sun report that Duran has been advised to join a ‘smaller club’ to get more games rather than being a squad player for one of the Premier League giants.
United won’t assure Duran with regular playing time
Duran could be available for around €11 million in the next transfer window. United can easily afford the fee but they won’t assure him with regular first-team football.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are currently the specialist striker options in the squad and manager Erik ten Hag has plans to pursue another marquee signing in January.
The focus appears on landing either Cody Gakpo or Rafael Leao. Both players are pre-dominantly left-wingers, but are capable of playing up front when required.
United have a big second half to the season as they face a tough challenge to make the top four. There is also a difficult Europa League knock-out play-off tie versus Barcelona.
Considering this, Ten Hag may not want to trust a young striker with regular minutes. Duran could still join the club if he is prepared to stay patient to prove his credentials.
Otherwise, West Ham or Everton appear better career choices for him. Duran may not be assured a starting role there, but could get valuable minutes off the bench.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
