7th club at just 22: Jhon Duran joins Benfica from Al-Nassr on loan
Lisbon, July 21
Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has joined Benfica from Al-Nassr on loan from the Saudi club through the end of the 2026/27 season. This will be the seventh club of Duran's career at the age of just 22, following recent stints with Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.
Benfica will pay a 6.1 million euros loan fee for the Colombia international. The agreement also includes a buyout option at the end of the season in the amount of 30 million euros.
Duran expressed his happiness at beginning this new chapter in his career. "I'm very grateful to God, just as I said when I arrived. I'm happy! I still say that it's the biggest club in Portugal. I'm very grateful to be here," he said.
He also expressed great ambition for the future, emphasising his determination to contribute to the team's success. "I have very high expectations for my time here. I want to play well, give it my all, and become a champion," Duran stressed.
The latest addition to Marco Silva's squad also assured everyone of his full commitment to daily training, making a promise to Benfica fans, "I want to work hard and help my team."
Duran began his professional career with Envigado, a club that has produced some of the big names in Colombian football, and where he completed his entire youth development. In 2021, he was signed by the MLS's Chicago Fire FC, where he scored eight goals in 28 games.
January 2023, to English club Aston Villa, bringing him across the ocean to the Premier League. In his first few months in one of the world's top leagues, the forward, who was already a Colombian international, played 12 games by the end of the 2022-23 season.
By the end of the 2024 calendar year, he had scored in four consecutive games and reached 12 goals already a career high. That's when Saudi football stepped in, and Al-Nassr paid 77 million euros to secure a forward.
The following season (2025/26) he returned to Europe, to Turkey, where he arrived on loan from Al-Nassr to Fenerbahce. While playing for Fenerbahce, he won the Turkish Super Cup and scored 5 goals in 21 games before moving to St. Petersburg also on loan from the Saudis to play for Zenit, the club where he finished the 2025-26 season.
In Russia, he won the first national championship of his career, contributing one goal in six matches played, and added another in one of the three games he played in the Russian Cup.
An international since 2022, Duran has earned 17 caps for Colombia, scoring 3 goals. In 2024, he was part of the Cafeteros squad that reached the Copa América final. In extra time, Colombia lost 1-0 to Argentina.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Benfica is a perfect move for him 🇵🇹 Their scouting system is world-class - just look at how they developed Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, and Joao Felix. Duran has raw talent, but he needs stability. Lisbon could be where he finally settles and reaches his potential. Marco Silva knows how to get the best out of attackers. Fingers crossed! 🤞
It's wild how football has become a glorified rental system. Al-Nassr paid €77 million for him, and now he's on his third loan in two years. The Saudi project is clearly just collecting players for marketing, not building a team. And Duran? He's making bank but sacrificing his career trajectory. Hope this Benfica move works out, but I'm skeptical.
As a die-hard Benfica fan, I'm cautiously excited. The kid clearly has talent - 12 goals in the Premier League at 20? That's not nothing. But the constant moves worry me. We need a striker who will fight for the badge, not someone who will jet off to the next payday. Let's see if he has the mentality for the Luz atmosphere. 🔴⚪
Four different countries by 22 - put some respect on his adaptability! 🇨🇴🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇦🇹🇷🇷🇺🇵🇹 The guy has experience in MLS, Premier League, Saudi League, Turkish Super Lig, Russian Premier League, and now Liga Portugal. That's incredible diversity. And he won titles in Russia! Football isn't just about settling - some players are built for the journey. Wish him all the best.
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