Jhon Duran transfer: Al Nassr confident of deal worth over £64m to sign Aston Villa striker
Jhon Duran has completed his medical and will fly to Saudi Arabia to complete a £64m move to Al Nassr; Colombia international was an unused substitute in Villa's 4-2 home win over Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday
Thursday 30 January 2025 17:34, UK
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has completed a medical with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr ahead of a £64m move.
The 21-year-old, who was an unused substitute in Villa's 4-2 home win over Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, will now fly to Saudi Arabia to join a side headed by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Duran's move comes as it also emerged Villa have rejected a bid from Arsenal for striker Ollie Watkins.
Al Nassr are understood to be paying just over £64m (€77m) plus bonuses for the striker, who was signed for around £15m from MLS side Chicago Fire FC two years ago.
The Saudi club have also seen a bid worth £54m for Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma rejected.
This is all part of a new Saudi strategy to focus on singing young, developing players. They do not want to be regarded as a retirement home for ageing superstars.
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Emery said of Duran in his post-match press conference: "The club is working, we have to be competitive, of course we are developing players and increasing our objective, increasing our target, playing Champions League.
"Of course, we in the eyes of another strong team, strong countries like Saudi Arabia. It is something as well I can feel proud of because [the players] are improving. We have players who are of interest to other clubs and paying good money to us.
"But of course our objective is to keep our structure on the sport side because we want to keep our level that we are at and to keep it for a long time is hard.
"[To answer the question], I don't know exactly until everything is done.
"If he is leaving it is because it is a good deal for us. Because we have developed a young player in two years. It is not only club, it [has to work for] club, player and team.
"I don't know if he is going to leave."
The Spaniard added: "With Jhon Duran, you know more or less everything we are speaking here. He is a fantastic young player, fantastic potential. I was so close with him, trying to work with him in his development.
"But the player has the objective, sometimes they are impassioned. If they are leaving it is because they are doing another way in their career."
Questioned on whether Duran has asked to leave the club, Emery replied: "If he is leaving, of course it is because he has agreed.
"I told you last week, I wanted him here. After West Ham, I told you I wanted him here. But what does he want?"
Earlier this month, West Ham had a £57m bid turned down for Duran.
Al Nassr opt for Duran over Boniface
Sky Sports News reported on Wednesday morning that Al Nassr wanted to sign either Duran or Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface.
The Saudi Arabian club had held talks over both strikers but will only sign one of them and it appears they have settled on Duran despite also agreeing a £46m (€55m) deal for Boniface, who had undergone a medical.
Sky Germany reported on Wednesday night Boniface's move to Al Nassr is off.
The 24-year-old was left out of Leverkusen's squad on Wednesday for their 2-0 Champions League home win over Sparta Prague.
Leverkusen's sporting director, Simon Rolfes, said it is now unlikely that Boniface leaves.
Rolfes said: "Boniface will train with the team again tomorrow. He is still a Bayer 04 player.
"The events have not led to him being sold. With certain sums of money, economic considerations naturally always play a role.
"The current situation is that he will most likely stay. We are happy about that."
Villa reject Arsenal's bid for Watkins
Al Nassr's move for Duran comes amid Villa rejecting a bid from Arsenal for striker Ollie Watkins, who has been Villa head coach Unai Emery's preferred striker.
Arsenal are expected to return with an improved offer for the England international.
Villa's position is that Watkins is not for sale, which makes it unlikely a deal will be done in this window.
Watkins, known to be an Arsenal fan, is the Premier League's ninth-top goalscorer this season with 10 goals - including Villa's equaliser at Arsenal earlier this month.
The 29-year-old has five goals in 18 games for England, including the winner in last season's Euro 2024 semi-final victory against the Netherlands.
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