John Duran was hailed as one of the Premier League's most promising young strikers back in autumn 2024, securing seven goals for Aston Villa and catching the eye of major European clubs. However, his subsequent transfer to Al-Nassr set him on a very different trajectory.
In January 2025, the Saudi club shelled out €77 million for Duran, tying him down with a five-year contract. Fred, the former Manchester United midfielder who later played alongside Duran at Fenerbahce, recounted how Duran's attitude towards training changed after pocketing that lucrative deal.
Fred revealed:
Duran didn't care about anything at all. I would say to him, 'Come on, Duran, let's train a bit'. And he would reply, 'Bro, I'm already rich. I don't need to run'. Then he'd just go to the physios to avoid training.
According to Fred, money became a frequent topic in discussions about Duran's career transitions:
When he headed to Zenit, I said, 'Oh, now you're going to earn even more'. And he replied, 'Bro, the more, the better. The more, the better.'
Duran even mentioned to his partner that he had earned enough to secure himself and even three generations of his family:
Sometimes we'd chat, and he would say, 'I've already secured myself, my family, and three generations ahead.'
Fred insisted that Duran's commitment to his work at Fenerbahce waned over time:
At Fenerbahce, he at least showed up for training initially. But eventually, he just stopped coming altogether.
After his move from Aston Villa, Duran's career indeed became erratic. Controversies quickly surrounded him in Saudi Arabia, with reports surfacing that he was living in Bahrain and commuting over 600 miles daily for training at Al-Nassr, although the club dismissed these claims as fake.
He was then loaned out to Fenerbahce, where he worked under Jose Mourinho. Although he featured in 21 matches across all competitions, he found the net less frequently than he collected yellow cards. His loan was terminated early on February 5. The club denied any reports of conflict between Duran and Mourinho or Domenico Tedesco.
His next stop was Zenit, where Duran played nine matches, starting just once in the league and managing to score twice. Zenit ultimately opted not to activate the €35 million buy option.
Currently at Benfica, Duran is still struggling for a regular starting spot, having only scored twice in 12 appearances. Yet, his contract with Al-Nassr is set to run until 2030. Once viewed as one of the Premier League's most exciting young forwards, Duran finds himself navigating loan spells in Turkey and Russia as he attempts to revive his career in Portugal.
