Jhon Duran Joins Al Nassr in £64 Million Deal from Aston Villa

Colombian forward Jhon Duran has completed his high-profile £64 million transfer from Aston Villa to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr. The 21-year-old striker will now team up with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at his new club.

Duran departs Villa Park after two seasons with the Premier League outfit. While he struggled to cement a regular starting spot, Duran still managed to net 12 goals in 29 appearances for Villa this campaign, with many of those coming as a substitute.

At Al Nassr, currently sitting third in the Saudi Pro League table, Duran will link up with former Premier League players like Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte in addition to Ronaldo. The move comes just months after Duran signed a contract extension with Villa in October.

Confirming the transfer, Aston Villa released a brief 58-word statement: “Aston Villa can confirm Jhon Durán has joined Al-Nassr for an undisclosed fee. The striker moves to Saudi Arabia having scored 12 goals for Villa this term, including the winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Everyone at Aston Villa would like to wish Jhon all the best in the next step of his professional career.”

With Duran’s departure, Ollie Watkins remains as Villa’s sole out-and-out striker option. Manager Unai Emery recently insisted Watkins would not be sold after rejecting a £60 million approach from Arsenal earlier this week.

The transfer window closes on Monday, leaving Villa little time to potentially bring in reinforcements up front before the deadline.