Colombian International Jhon Duran Joins Portuguese Powerhouse Benfica on Season-Long Loan

Jhon Duran, the Colombian international forward, has joined FC Benfica on a season-long loan deal from Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

This will be the seventh club in Duran’s career, as he continues his journey across Europe at the age of just 22. Prior to Benfica, Duran has previously played for Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.

Benfica has agreed to pay a loan fee of £5.19 million (6.1 million euros) for Duran, with an option to make the move permanent for £25.5 million (30 million euros) at the end of the 2026-27 season.

“I am thrilled to be joining Benfica, one of the biggest clubs in Portugal,” said Duran. “I have high expectations and I am eager to give my best to help the team win trophies.”

Duran began his professional football career with Envigado in Colombia in 2019, before moving to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire in 2022. In January 2023, he joined Aston Villa for £14 million and quickly became a fan favorite.

A move to West Ham United fell through in the summer of 2024, but Duran’s impressive performance in the Champions League, where he scored a famous winner against Bayern Munich, saw him sold to Al-Nassr for £71 million in January 2025.

Despite scoring eight goals in 13 games for Al-Nassr, Duran’s time in Saudi Arabia was short-lived. He was loaned to Fenerbahce in February 2026, but the deal was cancelled following the sacking of manager Jose Mourinho less than a month after Duran made his debut.

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

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