Aston Villa’s decision to sell Jhon Durán for around £65million looks increasingly well judged after the striker completed another temporary move.
Durán has joined Benfica on loan from Al-Nassr until the end of the 2026/27 season. The Portuguese club will pay €6.1million for the deal and hold a €30million purchase option.
Benfica become the seventh senior club of Durán’s career at just 22. The Colombian has represented Envigado, Chicago Fire, Villa, Al-Nassr, Fenerbahce and Zenit Saint Petersburg before arriving in Lisbon.
Former Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor believes Unai Emery deserves credit for sanctioning the striker’s departure in January 2025.
Aston Villa sale looks stronger after latest Durán move
Al-Nassr paid €77million to sign Durán after he emerged as one of the Premier League’s most exciting young forwards.
The striker possessed enormous natural talent and scored several spectacular goals for Villa. However, Emery rarely trusted him ahead of Ollie Watkins for important matches.
Durán has since struggled to find a settled home. He made only 18 appearances for Al-Nassr before joining Fenerbahce on loan.
The Colombian scored five goals in 21 games in Turkey. He later finished last season with Zenit, scoring twice across nine appearances before moving again.
Agbonlahor described Durán as a “bad egg” while discussing the striker’s latest move on talkSPORT. He also claimed the forward had caused problems inside Villa’s dressing room.
Those comments represent Agbonlahor’s personal assessment rather than a confirmed account from the club. Villa never publicly criticised Durán’s conduct when announcing his departure.
However, his unsettled career since leaving Villa supports Emery’s decision to accept a substantial offer. The head coach removed a potential distraction while protecting Watkins’ position as his first-choice striker.
ReadAstonVilla recently examined how Emery has repeatedly rebuilt after important departures. Durán joins Douglas Luiz, Moussa Diaby and Jacob Ramsey among the players Villa have sold without stopping their progress.
Emery avoided a problem Aston Villa did not need
Some supporters questioned the sale because Durán offered qualities unavailable elsewhere in the squad.
He could score from difficult positions and change matches from the bench. Villa also lost valuable depth behind Watkins during the second half of the campaign.
However, keeping an unhappy player would have created another challenge for Emery. Durán wanted regular starts, while the manager continued to prefer a system led by one central striker.
The £65million return also represented outstanding business. Villa signed Durán from Chicago Fire for a fee reported at around £15million before selling him two years later.
Al-Nassr now risk recovering less than half their original investment if Benfica activate the €30million option.
Villa have continued reshaping their squad since Durán’s departure. The club’s latest summer transfer guide details every signing, exit and current target as Emery prepares for another Champions League campaign.
Durán could still fulfil his considerable potential in Portugal. Benfica offer European football and a fresh opportunity under Marco Silva.
His talent has never been in doubt. Finding stability has proved far more difficult.
Villa banked a major fee before those concerns became their problem. Eighteen months later, Emery’s judgement looks stronger than it did on the day Durán left.illa striker joins the seventh club of his career.
