Al-Nassr Fans Cast Strong Jhon Duran Verdict After 2-1 Defeat vs Al-Qadisiyah

The Saudi Pro League’s spending power has witnessed a shift from securing players in the swansong of their respective careers – think Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane – to those who are up-and-coming talents looking to make waves in the beautiful game.

And the latter encapsulates the curious case of ex-Aston Villa hotshot Jhon Duran, who joined Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr in January 2025 after becoming frustrated with his game time – or lack thereof – at Villa Park thanks to Ollie Watkins’ red-hot form.

But how has he been settling into life in the Middle East? Still just 21 years of age, Medellin-born Duran is in the infancy of his career and has plenty of years ahead of him. And, as such, his decision to opt for Saudi Arabia came as a surprise to most.

The 2003-born striker is now 12 appearances into his Al-Nassr career – but has he been the goal-hungry centre-forward that people expected him to be in something of a lesser-gifted division? Or, on the contrary, is he failing to jump off the page?

Duran’s Start to Life in Saudi Arabia

Colombian hotshot has played 12 games alongside Ronaldo

Duran’s life at Aston Villa was tricky. Watkins was Unai Emery’s go-to guy up top and, as a result, the former was typically relied upon from the substitutes’ bench. He almost always delivered, as evidenced by his seven goals in 626 Premier League minutes this term, but he couldn’t nail down a spot as a starter.

Thus, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr came calling – and the generational wealth was too tough to turn down. He followed in the footsteps of Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez who had swapped England’s top tier for the riches of Saudi Arabia.

A 16-cap Colombia international, Duran was one of the hottest commodities in world football before his winter move thanks to his goalscoring exploits – and, as alluded to, there were very few fans that expected him to link up with the likes of Ronaldo.

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His spell at the club started well. Two goals against Al-Fayha and another brace against Al-Ahli the week after and it looked like Duran – who is one of the most expensive sales in Major League Soccer history – and Al-Nassr were a match made in heaven.

But it’s not all been plain sailing and his red card against Al-Ettifaq, albeit controversial, epitomises how his spell with the club has plateaued off after such a bright start in the final third.

It’s not to say that he’s not letting off shots – because, well, he is. Per game, Duran is racking up 4.25 efforts and has plundered a goal every 143 minutes. In terms of his shot conversion rate, he scores 13.7% of the shots he takes, while he’s converted 16.7% of his big chances since his mid-season switch.

Duran’s most recent performance – 90 minutes against Al-Qadisah at the Prince Mohamed bin Fadh Stadium on Friday 18 – was perhaps the worst of the bunch. Although he played the entire game, the youngster failed to pull up trees.

Ex-AC Milan chief Stefano Pioli, who took charge of Al-Nassr in September, is looking to secure gold in his maiden season – but their latest defeat, as described above, is a major blow to their title hopes and Duran’s profligacy could prove costly. Check out the title race below.

Duran’s Latest Display Raises Concerns Among Fans

‘Wish we had signed Victor Boniface’

In fact, he created zero chances in a game that was begging for someone to take it by the scruff of the neck. Alongside his poor chance creation, the ex-Chicago Fire marksman – who cost Al-Nassr an eye-catching £71 million – landed zero shots on target from an attempted three and missed one big chance.

Reacting to his latest showing in Al-Nassr colours, fans are beginning to wonder why the club forked out such a large amount of money for Duran. Frustrated with the Colombian, one wrote: “Looks like Jhon Duran forgot how to play football.”

“What a terrible signing Duran has turned out to be.” another supporter said as they come to terms with the £320,000-per-week earner’s performances since his last goal in mid-March.

The Al-Awwal Park faithful are also wondering why someone of Victor Boniface’s ilk – a more experienced centre-forward – was not signed ahead of Duran, who is still perfecting his craft.

Much of the criticism is focused on his lack of effort, as another fan labelled him ‘useless’. “This guy is a useless footballer. Can’t dribble, can’t press, can’t shoot, just camp in the penalty box. This is what $90 million gets you these days.”

By virtue of impressing in the Premier League – which is commonly known as the biggest league in world football – much was expected of Duran, who plundered 20 goals and the solitary assist in 78 appearances for Aston Villa. But it’s not unfair to say that he hasn’t lived up to expectations.

The truth is, judging by the fact that he is still in the early stages of his career, Duran has plenty more to give – and his current bump in the road will be merely temporary as he looks to get his career back on track after a subtle derailing.