The Saudi Pro League has harvested plenty of talent in Europe. Now, one of its clubs has claimed one of the continent’s most talented forwards as Al Nassr wrapped up a big money move for Jhon Durán.
Jhon Durán Decides to Join Al Nassr
Durán Desired More Minutes
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Al Nassr are “on the verge” of making a verbal agreement with Aston Villa to acquire Jhon Durán. The striker has reportedly signed a deal for £64 million with fixed add-ons.
The 21-year-old has built up a reputation as one of the best “super substitutes” in the Premier League. He has scored seven goals in only 563 minutes of league football this season: four were in his first five outings of this campaign as he put forward his case for a place in the Villans’ starting eleven.
In December, he finally had his chance as a starting striker, scoring three further goals in a spell of three fixtures against Southampton, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City. However, he picked up a red card away at Newcastle United on Boxing Day and has dropped back to the bench ever since.
The Colombian would like to be more than the backup for Ollie Watkins, and it is not the first time that he is not subject to speculation of a transfer away from the team. In the summer, West Ham United attempted to add a striker to the attack and tried to tempt him to London without success.
Read More: Grading Every Striker That West Ham Have Been Linked With This Summer
A key rotational piece in the squad, Durán is not someone whom the Villans would have wanted to lose. But the noise did not die down and Aston Villa chose to cash in on the forward for a huge profit.
Al Nassr End Interest in Victor Boniface
This transfer should signal the end of another surprise story that could derail Villa’s campaign. A fellow Premier League club recently launched a late swoop for the senior striker in Villa’s squad.
Read more: Arsenal’s £60 Million Offer Rejected For Premier League Striker
An exit for Watkins was always unlikely. And Emery also saw the task of playing these two strikers together as a “challenge.” With Durán out of the door, Villa will cling onto Watkins even more tightly.
This deal does pull the plug on a possible switch to Saudi Arabia for a striker based in Germany.
According to Romano, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface was on Al Nassr’s radar. The Nigerian, who has not played in the Bundesliga since November, was in “advanced negotiations.” with the team.
Now, Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes has confirmed that any deal is off. He said: “There have been talks, but we are happy that he will be training with us today. I assume that he will stay. He feels comfortable here, his attitude towards the club is unchanged.”
