JHON DURAN has completed his mega-money switch to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
The Colombian striker leaves Aston Villa after two years with the Premier League club.
Duran has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth at Villa since joining from Chicago Fire in 2023.
But he made an impact when he has featured, netting 12 goals in 29 games for Villa this season, with the majority of those appearances from the bench.
The 21-year-old joins Al Nassr with the club currently third in the Saudi Pro League.
Alongside Ronaldo, Duran will play alongside former Premier League stars Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte.
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Confirming the transfer, a 58-word statement from Villa read: “Aston Villa can confirm that 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.”
Duran only signed a new contract with Villa in October.
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Following his exit, Unai Emery’s men have been linked with a late-window move for Marcus Rashford.
The Manchester United striker has expressed his desire for a “new challenge.”
Rashford hasn’t been part of a United matchday squad since December 12.
Reports suggest Villa are interested in bringing Rashford to the Midlands in a deal before Monday’s deadline.
But the England striker is holding out for a move to Barcelona.
Duran leaving means Ollie Watkins is Villa’s only out-and-out striker remaining at the club.
Watkins was the subject of a £60million approach from Arsenal earlier this week.
But after Villa rejected the offer out of hand, boss Emery was adamant Watkins would be staying put.
Emery said on Wednesday: “I don’t want [to sell]. It is good news to have offers from other clubs.
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“We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad.
“Every player can be in the market if it is good for the player and the club. To get this deal we are going to be demanding. Watkins is our striker.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
