Aston Villa braced for spectacular €100m Jhon Duran offer

Tom Weber

Updated: 24 Jan 2025 15:25 GMT
4 min read

Saudi giants Al-Nassr are set to make a blockbuster bid for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran imminently, according to various reports.

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The Colombian continues to make headlines. A starter for most clubs, Duran only plays second fiddle to Ollie Watkins under Unai Emery and this has once more piqued the interest of other clubs.

West Ham, who famously also tried to sign Duran in the summer, have recently had a €67 million offer rejected, much to the frustration of Hammers fans as they still remember how their club refused to meet Aston Villa's €50m valuation in the previous window.

Duran is now worth at least twice as much, with the Birmingham club slapping a €100m price tag on his head as well as making it clear to suitors that they would prefer not to sell this month.

However, due to his 'difficult' and 'unpredictable' character and tense relationship with Emery, there is a belief that Villa could be convinced to cash in before the window slams shut. After talks with other clubs, including PSG and Chelsea, one surprise side are now gearing up to test Villa's resolve.

Al-Nassr to make Duran bid

On Thursday, it was revealed that Saudi giants Al-Nassr hold an interest in the 20-year-old. Now, The Telegraph and Saudi transfer insider Ben Jacobs report that the Riyadh outfit will put their money where their mouth is and table a formal offer.

It is unclear exactly how much Al-Nassr are willing to bid, but considering his price tag of €100m, the offer will likely be in a similar ballpark. Cristiano Ronaldo's side are well off the pace in the Saudi Pro League and are keen to bolster their attacking ranks.

There have been claims that Duran would be open to a move to Saudi Arabia, although Villa continue to insist that he is not for sale. Jacobs recently revealed that Al-Nassr are one of the sides who also hold an interest in Real Madrid megastar Vinicius Jr.

However, as things stand, fellow PIF club Al-Ahli are expected to make a €350m bid for the Brazilian. Though a world-record fee, it would be well below his €1 billion release clause, illustrating that Saudi clubs are not willing to pay completely over the odds for their targets.

Al-Nassr may therefore not quite be willing to spend whatever it takes to land Duran should Villa continue to play hardball. This situation certainly remains one to watch.