John Duran: Former Aston Villa striker joins Benfica on season-long loan from Al-Nasr

Former Aston Villa striker John Duran has joined Benfica on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nasr.

The Portuguese giants will be the seventh club of Duran’s career at the age of just 22, following recent spells with Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.

Benfica will pay a £5.19m (€6.1m) loan fee for the Colombia international with an option to make it £25.5m (€30m) permanent at the end of the 2026-27 season.

“I’m happy! I keep saying this is the biggest club in Portugal. I’m very grateful to be here,” said Duran.

“I have high expectations to be here. I want to play well, give my all and win the championship.”

Duran began his professional career with Colombian side Envigado in 2019 before moving to MLS side Chicago Fire in 2022.

He moved again in January 2023 when he joined Aston Villa for £14m and quickly became a fan favourite.

A move to West Ham followed in the summer of 2024, but after scoring the famous winner for Villa against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Duran was sold to Al-Nasr in January 2025 for £71 million.

Despite scoring eight goals in 13 appearances for Saudi Arabia, he only lasted half a season before moving on loan to Fenerbahce.

But manager Jose Mourinho was sacked less than a month after Duran’s debut and the loan was canceled in February 2026 so he could join Zenit.

After scoring three goals in nine games in Russia, Duran now has the chance to make a home at Benfica, his seventh club in the seventh country of his young career.