Jhon Duran plotting 600-MILE commute to avoid living in Saudi Arabia hours after signing £320k a week Al-Nassr contract
JHON DURAN is planning a 600-mile commute from Bahrain to his new Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
The Colombia striker completed a £70million move from Aston Villa at the end of last week — but has told Al-Nassr he wants to live in Bahrain.
Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson were both based in Bahrain rather than Saudi when with Al-Ettifaq, who parted ways with Gerrard last week.
Al-Ettifaq’s Dammam training ground is an hour’s drive from Bahrain — but Al-Nassr is on the outskirts of Riyadh and more than 300 miles away.
A scheduled flight from Bahrain International Airport to the capital Riyadh takes one hour and 20 minutes, so Duran will have to get used to a gruelling travel schedule.
The 21-year-old’s decision has been partly influenced by confusion over whether he would be permitted to live with his girlfriend in Saudi Arabia.
Under Islamic law co-habitation by unmarried couples is discouraged — and private landlords often demand proof of marriage before agreeing to rent out property.
In practice, the law is not always enforced, however.
Cristiano Ronaldo lives with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez in a luxury compound in Saudi’s capital.
But Duran will be more than able to afford the crazy commute.
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The striker, who only signed a new contract with Villa last October, is set to earn a whopping TAX-FREE yearly salary of £16.7million.
That equates to a staggering £1.4m per month, £321,000 per week, £46,000 per day and £1900 an hour.
The now former Villa striker now also earns £31 a minute and 52 pence per second.
He has been given the No 9 shirt at Al-Nassr, which is the same number he wore for Villa.
Duran joined Villa from MLS side Chicago Fire in January 2023 for a fee of £18m.
In just October 2024, Duran signed a new deal with Villa, which was set to keep him at the club until 2030.
He leaves Villa Park having scored 20 goals in 78 appearances for Unai Emery‘s side.
Villa confirmed Duran’s departure in a brief statement thanking him for his efforts during his time in the Midlands.
It read: “Aston Villa can confirm that Jhon Durán has joined Al-Nassr for an undisclosed fee.
“The striker moves to Saudi Arabia having scored 12 goals for Villa this term, including the winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
“Everyone at Aston Villa would like to wish Jhon all the best in the next step of his professional career.”
His exit might free up funds for Villa to sign Marcus Rashford permanently in the near future.
The Man Utd academy graduate, who has been exiled by Ruben Amorim, is reportedly on the brink of signing a six-month loan with Emery’s side.
Duran could make his Al-Nassr debut next Friday when they welcome Al Feiha to Al-Awwal Park.
His move came as a surprise after establishing himself as the most lethal sub in the Prem this season.
The Colombian has developed a reputation for being a game-changer for Unai Emery’s men.
Since his debut in January 2023, Duran scored more goals as a substitute than any other Premier League player.
Despite his impressive form, he has found first-team starts hard to come by throughout the campaign, with Emery often preferring Ollie Watkins, who Arsenal saw a bid rejected for this week, as the lone striker in his side.