Cristiano Ronaldo Eliminates Former Premier League Star Just Five Months After Record-Breaking Move
Just five months following his shocking departure from Aston Villa to join Al Nassr at the conclusion of January, Jhon Durán is set to reunite with José Mourinho at Fenerbahçe.
Durán had emerged as one of the Premier League's most promising young talents during the opening half of the 2024–25 season. Though primarily confined to substitute appearances, the Colombian forward kicked off the campaign with four strikes in five matches.
When Durán netted his last Premier League goal before the Christmas period, he stood as Villa's leading scorer with the same number as Liverpool's rising star Luis Díaz. Despite connections to clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, the 21-year-old made the rather surprising jump to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
The £65 million ($89.4 million) transfer fee Villa secured for a player they had acquired for just £18 million ($24.8 million) two years prior represents Al Nassr's record signing and ranks second only to Neymar's transfer to Al Hilal in Saudi Pro League history.
Durán made an immediate impact, netting the opening two goals in a 3–0 victory against Al Fayha during his league debut before Ronaldo completed the scoring. "It feels like I'm playing FIFA Career Mode," Durán exclaimed after the match. "I'm celebrating goals with Cristiano Ronaldo!"
The two strikers featured together in only 13 matches but both reached double figures during these games—Ronaldo narrowly outscored Durán with 11 goals to his 10. Nevertheless, their partnership wasn't completely smooth.
The notoriously temperamental striker received a red card in just his third league appearance for Al Nassr during a 3–2 loss to Al Ettifaq, visibly angering an irate Ronaldo.
Despite their combined goal output, Al Nassr dropped to third place in the Saudi league table, failing to secure qualification for the following season's AFC Champions League. Both Durán and Ronaldo failed to find the net as Al Nassr were eliminated in the continental tournament's semifinals last April.
Several media sources have confirmed Durán's upcoming move to Turkey, with The Telegraph reporting that the player advocated for a European return due to the "turbulence at Al Nassr." Ronaldo's growing influence is viewed as problematic, while the club faces legal action from former chief executive Majed Jaman Al-Sorour who criticized the "unprofessional, inappropriate and unacceptable" manner of his dismissal.
While Al-Sorour and Durán have departed Riyadh, Ronaldo remains committed to staying. After considering an exit, the 40-year-old signed a new two-year deal reportedly worth up to £492 million ($676.4 million).