New Delhi: Jhon Duran made his move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr from Aston Villa last Friday for a five-and-a-half-year contract. Al-Nassr made only one recruitment in the window and the Colombian international’s arrival made them the second-highest spenders after Manchester City. The move while involving big money also brings for Duran a 500 km travelling for training.
Al Nassr spent £77m, which includes add-ons for Duran to join the Cristiano Ronaldo side in January. However, the 21-year-old has raised concerns over staying in the state, for the wish to stay with his partner. According to the Sun, Duran has decided to live outside of Saudi as it isn’t clear if he will be allowed to stay with his girlfriend.
🚨 Jhon Duran will travel over 500KM a day to train with Al-Nassr. 😱🇸🇦🛫
The Colombian striker insisted on living in the neighbouring state of Bahrain with his girlfriend. 🇧🇭
This is because in Saudi Arabia you are not allowed by law to live with your partner unless you are… pic.twitter.com/neAKCp1e5c
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) February 5, 2025
According to Islamic law, unmarried couples living together are discouraged. In fact, private landlords are known for often demanding proof of marriage before a property is rented out. This has led Duran to decide to stay in Bahrain the neighbouring state with his girlfriend and will be travelling daily from here.
A scheduled flight between Bahrain and the capital city Riyadh takes about one hour and 20 minutes, which will obviously increase Duran’s travel time. Steven Gerrard who left his managing role at Al-Ettifaq last week and Jordan Henderson had both chosen to live outside of Saudi Arabia. Al-Nassri’s training ground happens to be on the outskirts of Riyadh and a little over 300 miles away from Bahrain.
Duran’s decision to leave the Villa side came after less playing time as a starter with the team. His transfer meant Villa received the second highest fee after Jack Grealish’s move to Manchester City which came at a fee of £100m. Duran had joined Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023, and in his 78 appearances scored 20 goals, but made only seven starts at the top-flight.
This season itself Duran scored 12 goals across the competition for Aston Villa, with seven goals coming in the Premier League. With Colombia, he has made 15 appearances and was runner-up with Colombia in Copa America 2024.
Exception for Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo came to Al-Nassr in January 2024, coming from Manchester United. The Portuguese captain has been one of the most prolific goal scorers in the league, scoring 15 goals this season alone.
Ronaldo was permitted to live with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and the local authorities ignored the law which prohibited unmarried couples from living together. Since Ronaldo’s move, many big players made their move to the League including Neymar, Karim Benzema and Roberto Fermino.
Jhon Duran will reportedly travel 500 kms everyday to train with Al Nassr with Saudi Arabia laws prohibiting him from living with his partner without marriage. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
