Jhon Duran is on the move for the third time in 13 monthsplaceholder image
Jhon Duran is on the move for the third time in 13 months | Getty Images
Jhon Duran is joining his third club since leaving Aston Villa 13 months ago
Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is reported to be on the move for the third time in the space of just 13 months after agreeing a shock deal to join Zenit St Petersburg in the Russian Premier League.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news in a post which revealed that the Colombian forward had agreed to terminate his contract in Turkey with Fenerbahce to take on a surprising new challenge at the Gazprom Arena.
Romano, however, dismissed those claims. He posted on X: “Jhon Durán to Zenit St Petersburg, here we go! Documents completed now between the clubs.
“Fenerbahçe break loan from Al Nassr, new loan move from Al Nassr to Zenit for Durán. Lille was never close as option, Durán will join on straight loan — NO buy option clause.”
Duran secures third transfer in the space of 13 months
Duran left Aston Villa in January 2025 to complete a mega move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Unai Emery was thought to be keen to keep the striker at the time but reluctantly agreed to let the youngster move to the Middle East due to the forward’s desire to take on a new challenge playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Prior to the move Duran had been the subject of strong interest from West Ham, with Villa reportedly turning down an offer of around £57m along with lower offers the previous summer.
I can be disappointed a little bit,” Emery told Birmingham Live. "My thoughts are always that his improvement here can give him the opportunity to play as well. Maybe in Europe with some of the best teams in the world. But Saudi Arabia, they are improving a lot. They are paying well. They are increasing the level of the league. I accept some players leave for there.”
Nevertheless, Duran impressed in the Middle East on the surface by scoring 12 goals in 18 games. However, he reportedly found it hard to settle in Saudi and wanted to move back to Europe.
He never hit the same heights in Turkey following Jose Mourinho’s exit to Benfica and scored just five goals in 21 matches while often struggling to establish himself as the main starter.
Duran completes shock move to Russia
Duran’s move to the Russian Premier League makes him one of the very few high-profile players to move to the league since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Russian national team are currently banned from competing in the European Championships and World Cup, while the nation’s clubs are also barred from taking part in UEFA and FIFA competitions, making it hard to judge the standard of the league at this time.
Duran has led an itinerant career, moving from Envigado in his homeland to Chicago Fire, then Villa, Al-Nassr, and latterly Fenerbahce and Zenit on loan - all by the age of 22.
He is a senior international for Colombia, having amassed 17 caps and scored three goals. The forward is likely to play at the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
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