Benfica loans Duran from Al-Nassr with 30m euro buy option
Benfica has signed Colombian striker Jhon Duran on a 6.1m euro loan from Al-Nassr, taking a calculated financial gamble on an unsettled but high-value asset with a 30m euro permanent option.
Benfica has secured the services of Jhon Duran on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. The Portuguese side will pay a 6.1m euro loan fee for the 22-year-old Colombian international. The deal includes a 30m euro option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The move underscores the complex financial reality of modern football, where a high-value player can rapidly circulate through multiple jurisdictions. Duran has now joined his seventh club in a seventh country, representing a highly liquid but volatile asset. Al-Nassr paid Aston Villa £71m for him in January 2025, but his rapid succession of short-term loans signals a significant misalignment between his transfer cost and his actual integration into a squad.
Since his high-profile move to the Saudi Pro League, Duran's career has lacked stability. A loan to Fenerbahce was cut short in February 2026 after manager Jose Mourinho was sacked less than a month into Duran's tenure. He subsequently moved to Zenit St Petersburg, scoring three goals in nine games before this latest transfer to Lisbon.
For Benfica, the structure of the deal minimises immediate financial risk while retaining future upside. Committing 6.1m euros allows the club to assess Duran's fit before triggering a much larger 30m euro outlay. "I am happy! I continue to say that it is the biggest club in Portugal. I am very grateful to be here," said Duran.
Duran's rise in market value has been steep since he left Colombian side Envigado in 2022 for MLS team Chicago Fire. He joined Aston Villa for £14m in January 2023, after a proposed move to West Ham fell through the previous summer. His sporting profile peaked after scoring a notable winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
"I have very high expectations of being here. I want to play well, give my all and become champion," he added. Benfica will now hope to finally anchor a player who has struggled to find a permanent home since leaving England.
