Al-Nassr deny Jhon Duran CONTROVERSY just days after Aston Villa transfer

Robin Bairner

• 6 Feb 2025 08:53 GMT
• 2 min read

Jhon Duran was the Saudi Pro League’s major arrival during the winter transfer window, with the Colombia international captured in a spectacular €77 million deal by Al-Nassr from Aston Villa.

The 21-year-old already finds himself subject to rumours just days after his arrival, with Al-Nassr forced into making a ‘fake news’ denial regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s new team-mate.

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Indeed, there was general surprise that Duran opted to move to Saudi Arabia despite interest from the likes of PSG and Chelsea, who would likely have returned to sign him in the summer.

The riches of Al-Nassr, though, were enough to tempt the former Aston Villa striker to move.

His transfer was rapidly followed by claims that he is 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 they would be allowed to live together. Officially, co-habitation of unmarried couples is illegal for residents.

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Duran commute claims ‘fake news’

Al-Nassr have fired back at these claims via X.

“We all heard about what’s called “fake news”, but this Is an obnoxiously funny fake news!

We are happy that our club matters this much,” it claims.

“Jhon loves Riyadh and his house is near the club and the stadium. He is our new family member.”

Duran has seen his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) rise to €53.5m due to his form at Aston Villa, where he became a hero due to his super sub performances and eye for a spectacular goal, but moving to the Saudi Pro League is likely to see this figure dip dramatically.

He has already made his debut for Al-Nassr but was unable to score a goal or generate an assist in a 4-0 AFC Champions League win over Al-Wasl on Monday.

Duran’s first match in the Saudi Pro League will come Friday against Al-Feiha.