Jhon Duran: Aston Villa ace warned he’ll DISAPPEAR in Saudi as Emery breaks silence

Robin Bairner

30 Jan 2025 01:30 CST
4 min read

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has been warned that he will simply “disappear” when he completes his move to the Saudi Pro League.

Duran is set to hook up with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr after a deal was struck around the €70 million mark with the Premier League club. Previously, the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal had been tracking the 21-year-old Colombia international.

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STATS

Jhon Durán

F (C)

Aston Villa

Jhon Durán

F (C)

Aston Villa

26

Games
12

Goals
0

Assists

Given the impact that he has made over the last six months, during which time he has scored 12 goals in 26 appearances for Villa, his decision to move to Saudi comes as something of a shock.

“The John Duran thing I find absolutely crazy for a young man to burst on the scene and then disappear, because that's what will happen to him, quite surely,” Villa legend Lee Hendrie told Sky Sports.

He added that losing the South American may bring the best out of Ollie Watkins, who was subject of a shock bid from Arsenal prior to the Champions League clash against Celtic – a game the Birmingham club won 4-2.

“Villa get to keep Ollie Watkins by the looks of it, and bye-bye to Jhon Duran that might just see Villa's season kick start and see Ollie was playing with a smile on his face,” Hendrie added.

Unai Emery on Jhon Duran transfer

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was tight-lipped over the state of play with Duran, suggesting the striker will be on his way to Al-Nassr.

“Tomorrow or Friday we can speak about transfers. Or maybe next week, because while everything is not done, I don't want to speak,” he told the media after Duran was spotted giving gifts to stadium staff in the tunnel.

“In football, anything can happen. Of course, we are working and trying to compete in the window. We need some players.

“Of course, some can also leave but it's not the time to speak to it.”

Reaction to Arsenal’s Watkins bid

Emery also commented on his former club Arsenal making a move for Watkins.

“I don’t want to lose him. It is good news to have an offer from other clubs, or interest, it is good,” he said.

“But we want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad. Every player can be in the market in case it is good for the club, the player and the team but to get this deal of course we are going to be very demanding as well and Watkins is our striker.”