€100m deal coming! SUPER RICH club target Jhon Duran

Robin Bairner

• 23 Jan 2025 14:15 GMT
• 3 min read

Aston Villa may have seen off bids from West Ham United and Paris Saint-Germain for Jhon Duran, but Unai Emery’s outfit face the prospect of a super-rich side launching an assault on their superstar.

Villa are doing everything in their power to retain Duran, who is also being tracked by Chelsea, and have put a €100 million asking price on his head for the January transfer window.

This gigantic sum may not be enough to put off Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, who, fresh from tying Cristiano Ronaldo down to a new deal, are ready to bid for the attacker, according to FootMercato.

The French source describes how PSG’s long-term desire to sign Duran is threatened by the Saudis, who already have Ronaldo bagging goals for them. Chelsea and West Ham, too, will be left disappointed.

Luis Enrique’s side have already had a €75m bid knocked back for the Colombia international striker, and if it appears unlikely that a deal can be struck with them over the course of January, Al-Nassr will have few issues raising the funds.

Adding to Villa’s problems in this case is the fact that that 21-year-old striker is “not insensitive” to the idea of going to the Saudi Pro League, where he could earn an astronomical salary.

Could Duran really leave Villa?

Duran has not been shy about agitating for a move in the past. Last summer, he infamously appeared on social media with his wrists crossed as the Villa Park outfit turned down a series of bids for him, notably from Chelsea. He has since signed a new contract that expires in 2030, however, giving his club some muscle in negotiations.

But with Ollie Watkins still ahead of him in the pecking order in Emery’s eyes, the Spaniard faces a difficult balancing act to keep the South American happy until the end of the season – assuming, of course, that he remains with the club.

Aston Villa’s expectation is that they will not lose Duran, who has 12 goals in 28 appearances this season, but a deal with the Al-Nassr could be hard to resist if Ronaldo’s side do indeed step up their interest.