- Jhon Durán completes a £71m move to Al-Nassr, joining Ronaldo and Mané.
- Durán leaves Aston Villa after scoring 12 goals this season, with Ollie Watkins now the sole striker.
- Unai Emery confirms Watkins is not for sale despite Arsenal’s interest.
Striker Jhon Durán has completed a high-profile move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr from Aston Villa in a deal that could reach £71 million.
The 21-year-old Colombian will now link up with football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané in Riyadh.
“Aston Villa can confirm that Jhon Durán has joined Al-Nassr,” the club announced. “Everyone at Aston Villa would like to wish Jhon all the best in the next step of his professional career.”
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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 of the competition.
Signed from Chicago Fire for £18 million in January 2023, Durán has been linked with a move away from Villa Park for months, with West Ham among his long-term suitors.
This season, he has scored 12 goals in 29 appearances for Villa, bringing his total tally to 20 goals in 78 matches. However, only seven of those appearances have come as league starts.
Durán’s departure leaves Ollie Watkins as Aston Villa’s primary striker, though the England international has recently attracted interest from Arsenal. Despite this, Villa has made it clear they have no intention of selling him.
Manager Unai Emery reiterated his stance on Wednesday: “I don’t want to sell. It’s a positive sign when other clubs show interest, but we remain focused on our sporting objectives. Every player has a market value, but Watkins is our striker.”
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Villa, who face Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, have already secured the signing of forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund. However, Malen is widely considered a replacement for Moussa Diaby, who left for Al-Ittihad in the summer.
