Jhon Duran was arguably one of the most exciting strikers in football when he played for Aston Villa. His Saudi Pro League enterprise failed, but the amount of money he earned during his tumultuous five-month stay in the Middle East has been disclosed.
Although on loan, Duran, a 17-cap, three-goal Colombia international, is poised to leave Al-Nassr this summer, with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce receiving a free run, despite many of clubs around Europe wanting a striker.
Many fans will remember his incredible long-range goal as Villa famously defeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and they can expect to see more of Duran on European soil in the 2025/26 season.
Duran joined the Saudi Pro League club in January for £64 million with the objective of becoming a regular starter, and in five months, the youthful hotshot scored 12 goals and provided zero assists. But how much did the 21-year-old make during his brief stint?
Duran’s earnings in the Saudi Pro League have been revealed, and a Colombian player is likely to join Fenerbahce on loan.
The best we saw of Duran, who was born and reared in Medellin, was at Villa Park, where he spent two years after becoming one of Major League Soccer’s most costly transactions, going from the Chicago Fire for about $30.7 million.
However, Ollie Watkins remained Unai Emery’s first-choice striker option in the Midlands, and Duran’s attitude reportedly became a source of contention with club officials, prompting him to leave in January. He’s about to return to Europe after five months. According to Foot Mercato, Duran has agreed to a season-long loan with Fenerbahce, who have offered him a wage that is far higher than what Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has been paying him.
According to the source, the Champions League-level Turkish team, which finished second to Galatasaray by 11 points last season, will pay him a salary of roughly €10 million to cover his entire stay.
If this is true, Duran, who started his career with Envigado in his home country, will be one of the continent’s highest-paid players. According to Capology, his weekly earnings at Al-Nassr were little north of £335,000.
Duran has now finished his 21st week in Riyadh, bringing his total earnings to nearly £7 million since coming in January 2025. Duran is smiling all the way to the bank when compared to his weekly income of £75,000 in England.
In the 2024/25 season, the Colombian formed a two-man strike tandem with Ronaldo and finished third in Saudi Arabia’s first league, 13 points behind winners Al-Ittihad. During that time, the goal-scoring teenager netted 12 goals in 18 games.
His teammate Ronaldo, widely considered as one of the greatest football players of all time, has recently signed a new two-year contract with his Saudi Pro League employers. According to The Sun, the Portuguese marksman earns a whopping £488,000 every day.
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