Benfica agree deal for former Premier League striker who is ready for fresh start

Jhon Duran has agreed a loan move to Benfica, forgoing Champions League football at other destinations.

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Durán rejected two UCL clubs as he prefers Benfica project/chance to play under Marco Silva.

Salary shared with Al Nassr, medical this weekend. ??? pic.twitter.com/FyBKQ4Q4m5

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2026

???? Jhon Durán to Benfica, here we go! Deal done for Colombian forward to join on loan with buy option clause not mandatory.

Durán rejected two UCL clubs as he prefers Benfica project/chance to play under Marco Silva.

Salary shared with Al Nassr, medical this weekend. ??? pic.twitter.com/FyBKQ4Q4m5

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2026

The Colombian striker has been playing on loan in Turkey and Russia, and didn’t even make his country’s World Cup squad, an amazing fall from grace compared to where he was a couple of years ago.

Duran returns for a fresh start in Western Europe

It’s mad to think how much Duran was in demand from top teams just a couple of years ago. After a short with Aston Villa he moved on to the Saudi Pro League for more than £60m, but things haven’t quite worked out for him since.

Of course the Portuguese league isn’t exactly the Premier League, and he won’t be in the Champions League, but this does feel like a return to the mainstream to some degree, and seems a smart place to rebuild a career.

It’s easy to imagine him scoring a hatful of goals if he finds his feet early in Portugal.

In other news…

Manchester City are pushing hard to sign Lille’s star teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, and the latest reports look pretty positive for Enzo Maresca’s team.

Sunderland had great success in the transfer market last summer, especially when targeting Ligue 1 players, and they’re looking to repeat that trick again it seems.

Sunderland are thinking about signing a Ligue 1 standout as they look to build on last season’s success.

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