Jhon Duran’s stunning downfall: ‘I’m already rich, I don’t need to run’
When Jhon Duran caught fire at Aston Villa, he appeared to be a young attacker with the world at his feet. But when he left the Premier League to join Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, everything changed.
Duran enjoyed a sparkling period with Villa at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, during which he scored seven times in England’s top-flight, including a highlight reel’s worth of long-range stunners.
It saw him attract the attention of some of Europe’s biggest teams, but upon leaving for Al-Nassr, he has embarked on the life of a journeyman pro that former Manchester United midfielder Fred, who played with Duran at Fenerbahce, says the Colombia striker is content with.
‘Jhon Duran didn’t give a **** about anything’
Duran’s peak came in January 2025, when Al-Nassr snapped him up for €77 million in a deal that further put the Pro League’s big spending on the map.
But while the Saudi outfit thought they were buying one of the game’s biggest up-and-coming talents, instead they were pouring their money into the pockets of a young man content to have signed a five-year contract that more than set him up for life.
Fred explained that Duran was happy to have signed the deal and apparently had no more ambition to continue climbing the footballing ladder.
“Jhon Duran didn't give a f*** about anything,” he told the Charla Podcast.
“‘Come on Duran, let's train, let's run a bit over there,' I'd say. 'Bro, I'm already rich. I don't need to run,' he'd say, then he'd go to the medical department and slack off.
“When he went to Zenit, I said: 'Ooo, now you're gonna make even more money.' 'Bro, the more the better, the more the better,' he'd say.
“Sometimes when we talked, he'd say: 'I've already saved the lives of me, my family, and three generations...'
“At Fenerbahçe, at least in the beginning he was showing up for training and stuff, then he completely quit..."
Controversy immediately in Saudi
Duran’s career in the Saudi Pro League was riddled with controversy from the outset, with claims that he was travelling more than 600 miles per day to commute to training in order to avoid living in Saudi Arabia.
The Sun claimed that Duran had based himself in Bahrain due to concerns over whether he would be allowed to live together with his partner. Officially, cohabitation of unmarried couples is illegal for residents.
Al Nassr were quick to brand these claims “fake news”, but the negative trend for Duran had started in Saudi, and no way has yet been found to stop the slide.
By the summer, Arriyadiyah announced that Duran would leave after “difficulties on a personal level, which have affected his mental state and technical stability”.
Fenerbahce fallout
Duran found his way to Fenerbahce on loan, where he teamed up with Jose Mourinho.
The partnership proved to be short-lived as Mourinho would be sacked after Fener failed to qualify for the Champions League and replaced by Domenico Tedesco. His performance in Istanbul was also mixed; he was booked more regularly than he scored in his 21 appearances across all competitions and his loan was terminated on 5 February.
His spell was not without controversy. He reportedly had major falling outs with both Mourinho and Tedesco, which the club denied, but he also struggled to settle or find his best form due to injury issues.
A spell in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg went no better. He played only nine games, making just one league start and scoring only two goals. Unsurprisingly, his €35m purchase option was not taken up.
Now he is regularly warming the bench with Benfica, where he has netted twice in 12 outings.
But Duran’s future is secure. He is under contract with Al-Nassr until 2030, and continues to earn the extravagant salary that he appears to love.
