Duran completes £71m Saudi move from Aston Villa

Forward Jhon Durán has transferred from Aston Villa to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in a deal that could be worth up to £71 million. The 21-year-old Colombian will now be teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané in Riyadh.

Aston Villa officially confirmed Jhon Durán's transfer, stating, "Everyone at Aston Villa wishes Jhon well for the next stage of his career." Durán was an unused substitute in Villa's 4-2 Champions League victory over Celtic on Wednesday, a win that secured their place in the last 16.

Durán joined Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023 for £18 million, but has been linked with a move away since last summer, with West Ham United having long-held an interest. This season, he scored 12 goals in 29 appearances for Villa, with a total of 20 goals in 78 appearances, though only seven of those were league starts.

Durán's departure leaves Ollie Watkins as Villa's only main striker. The England international has also received an offer from Arsenal this week. However, Villa have no intention of letting Watkins go. Manager Unai Emery stated on Wednesday, "I don't want [to sell]. It's good news to receive offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objectives with the players we have in our squad."

Emery also added, "Every player is on the market if it's good for the player and the club. We will put demands in place to make the deal happen. Watkins is our striker." Villa signed Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen in this transfer window, but he is widely regarded as a replacement for Moussa Diaby, who moved to Al-Ittihad in the summer.