Colombian striker Jhon Duran has joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce on a season-long mortgage, simply six months after his high-profile swap to Saudi Professional League aspect Al Nassr.
The 21-year-old made the transfer to Turkey this week, following a whirlwind few months since leaving Aston Villa in January for a reported €77 million (£64.5m), together with add-ons.
Duran penned a five-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr however is now set to proceed his improvement below Jose Mourinho in Istanbul.
Throughout his brief time in Saudi Arabia, Duran impressed by netting 12 objectives throughout 18 appearances, serving to Al Nassr to a third-place end within the 2024-25 season – trailing eventual champions Al Ittihad by 13 factors.
Fenerbahce, in the meantime, are hoping the addition of Duran can present the attacking enhance they’ve been lacking. The membership ended the Tremendous Lig season as runners-up for a fourth consecutive yr, ending 11 factors behind arch-rivals Galatasaray.
Mourinho’s first season in cost additionally noticed the membership exit each the Turkish Cup and the Europa League on the quarter-final and round-of-16 levels respectively.
Membership officers are optimistic that Duran’s arrival might replicate the influence made by Galatasaray’s blockbuster mortgage signing of Victor Osimhen final season – the Nigerian ahead netted 37 objectives in the course of the marketing campaign.
Kulübümüz, Al Nassr FC forması giyen Jhon Duran’ın, 1 yıllığına kiralık olarak kadromuza katılması konusunda hem kulübüyle hem de oyuncuyla anlaşmaya varmıştır.
Futbolcumuza, çubuklu formamız altında başarılarla dolu bir sezon dileriz.
Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü pic.twitter.com/0e2tSE5ayy
— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce) July 6, 2025
Earlier than his transfer to Al Nassr, Duran had been on the fringes of the beginning lineup at Aston Villa below Unai Emery. Regardless of restricted begins – simply seven in whole – he nonetheless managed 12 objectives in 29 appearances within the first half of the season.
Total, Duran tallied 20 objectives in 78 matches for the Midlands aspect, who signed him from MLS outfit Chicago Fireplace in January 2023 for as much as £17.75 million.
Curiosity within the younger ahead had been robust previous to his January exit, with West Ham tabling a rejected provide in the course of the summer time of 2024. They returned within the winter window with a second bid of £57 million, which was once more turned down by Villa.
At Al Nassr, Duran joined a star-studded squad that features Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Aymeric Laporte. Ronaldo, now 40, lately prolonged his keep in Riyadh with a brand new two-year contract holding him on the membership till age 42.
There’s additionally been motion behind the scenes within the Al Nassr dugout. Head coach Stefano Pioli departed on the finish of the marketing campaign, and hypothesis has linked former Fenerbahce boss Jorge Jesus with a return.
