Ex-Villa striker Duran joins seventh club with Benfica loan

Colombian striker Jhon Duran has completed a season-long loan move to Benfica from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, becoming the seventh club of his career at just 22 years old. The Portuguese giants will pay a €6.1m (£5.19m) loan fee and hold an option to make the transfer permanent for €30m (£25.5m) at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Duran began his professional career at Envigado in Colombia before moving to MLS side Chicago Fire in 2022. He joined Aston Villa for £14m in January 2023 and quickly became a fan favourite, scoring a famous Champions League winner against Bayern Munich. However, after a proposed move to West Ham collapsed, he was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m in January 2025.

Despite scoring eight goals in 13 games for Al-Nassr, Duran's stay lasted only half a season before he moved to Fenerbahce on loan. The loan was cancelled in February 2026 after manager Jose Mourinho was sacked, and he joined Zenit St Petersburg, where he scored twice in nine appearances.

A nomadic career

• Seven clubs in seven countries: Colombia, USA, England, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and now Portugal.
• Loan fee of €6.1m with a permanent option of €30m.
• Duran scored twice in nine games for Zenit before the move.
• Benfica is the biggest club in Portugal, according to Duran.

Duran expressed his happiness at joining Benfica, calling it the biggest club in Portugal and vowing to play well and become champion. The loan gives Benfica a chance to evaluate the striker before committing to a permanent deal, while Duran hopes to find stability after a series of short-term moves.