Why 'exasperated' Aston Villa decided to cash in on €77m Jhon Duran as striker completes lucrative Al-Nassr switch - revealed

The Villans received a whopping €77million (£64.5m/$80m) transfer fee for the 21-year-old forward, who has completed a move to Al-Nassr and will now link up with elite players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte in the Saudi Pro League. Duran has penned a five-and-a-half-years contract and will earn £16.7 million ($21m) per year.

Throughout the first half of January, the Villans maintained that they would not part ways with their star forward, however, according to The Athletic, the club decided to sell him once they came to know that the player had agreed personal terms with the Saudi giants. To comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules of the Premier League, the club were compelled to sell one of their star players. The report also adds that the English side can now avoid selling stars like Boubacar Kamara in the next summer transfer window and can also go after Chelsea's Joao Felix.

The Colmbian’s rise has been rapid since he joined Aston Villa in 2023 from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire in a deal worth around $18 million (£14.75 million). Duran has been one of Villa’s most promising players this season, netting 12 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.

The player could make his debut for Ronaldo's club on Monday when they take on Al Wasl in an AFC Champions League clash.