It appears that Chelsea and Arsenal have missed their chance to sign John Duran, as the former Aston Villa striker is on the verge of returning to Europe this summer.
Duran is set to make an unexpected comeback to European football just months after moving to Al Nassr from Aston Villa for £64 million.
The Colombian forward left Villa Park in January after a strong start to the season, where his impactful performances off the bench led Unai Emery to consider him as a potential replacement for Ollie Watkins in the starting lineup.
Duran turned down a £75,000-a-week contract in Birmingham to accept an impressive £16.7 million-a-year deal in Saudi Arabia, which translates to £46,000 per day—more than double his previous weekly salary in just two days.
Despite scoring 12 goals in 18 matches alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, Duran appears ready for another move.
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Turkish club Fenerbahce has made an official offer for the striker and has received approval to finalize the transfer.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Duran’s time at Al Nassr is “definitely over,” and Jose Mourinho, who manages Fenerbahce, seems to be closing in on the deal.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal had expressed interest in Duran before his move to the Middle East, with Chelsea particularly eager to sign him.
Now that his departure from Al Nassr has been sanctioned, they might attempt a last-minute bid, but they will need to act quickly as negotiations with Fenerbahce are already in progress.
Arsenal had also been monitoring Duran, especially since they were linked with a move for his former Villa teammate Watkins.
With Mikel Arteta looking for attacking options, Duran was naturally on their radar.
Reflecting on the speculation about his departure from Villa last season, Duran stated, “Yes, I think there were rumors.
As a young man, the head goes to other places. But there was always total support from Unai, from Monchi, and especially from Damian Vidagany, director of football operations. The three of them are important pillars in this club.
They have achieved many things in a short time, and they have helped me a lot. They were very valuable to me because they kept me grounded and communicated things honestly.”
Despite his brief time in Saudi Arabia, Duran has demonstrated enough talent to warrant another significant move.
While Chelsea and Arsenal may now regret not pursuing him more aggressively, Mourinho and Fenerbahce have acted swiftly and quietly, putting them in a strong position to secure his signature.
