Benfica sign Jhon Duran on loan from Al-Nassr with option to buy

Benfica have signed Colombian forward Jhon Duran on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, with an option to make the move permanent for £25.5m (€30m) at the end of the 2026-27 season.

The 22-year-old, who previously played for Aston Villa, will pay a £5.19m (€6.1m) loan fee. Duran becomes the seventh club of his career, having also featured for Envigado, Chicago Fire, Aston Villa, Al-Nassr, Fenerbahce, and Zenit St Petersburg.

What happened

Duran began his professional career with Colombian side Envigado in 2019 before moving to MLS side Chicago Fire in 2022. He joined Aston Villa for £14m in January 2023 and became a fan favourite, scoring a famous winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

After a failed move to West Ham in summer 2024, Duran was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m in January 2025. He scored eight goals in 13 games but stayed only half a season before joining Fenerbahce on loan. However, manager Jose Mourinho was sacked less than a month after Duran's debut, and the loan was cancelled in February 2026, leading to a move to Zenit.

Why it matters

• Duran is joining his seventh club at age 22, moving to a seventh different country.
• Benfica pay a £5.19m loan fee with a £25.5m option to buy.
• Duran scored three goals in nine games for Zenit before this move.
• He expressed happiness and high expectations at Benfica, calling it 'the biggest club in Portugal'.

What's next

Duran will aim to establish himself at Benfica and help the club challenge for domestic and European honours. The loan deal gives both parties time to assess a long-term fit before a potential permanent transfer.