Jhon Duran's situation is just sad. His talent is going to waste and Fred has highlighted the harsh reality
In a recent podcast appearance, former Manchester United and Fenerbahce midfielder Fred was asked to name the most "crazy" footballer he's ever played with. It didn't take him long to respond.
"Jhon Duran didn't care about anything," he said on the Charla Podcast. "I'd say: 'Come on Duran, let's train, let's run a bit over there.' He'd say: 'Bro, I'm already rich. I don't need to run,' then he'd go to the medical department and slack off."
It is a shocking revelation on the surface but one that didn't come as a surprise to many, a damning indictment of the short, yet eventful, career of Duran - an enigma who divides opinion at every club he plays for.
READ MORE: Fred speaks his mind on former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag in scathing verdict
Advert
Fred wasn't done there, either. He continued: "When he went to Zenit [Saint Petersburg], I said, 'Ooo, now you're gonna make even more money.' He'd say: 'Bro, the more the better, the more the better.'
"Sometimes when we talked, he'd say, 'I've already saved the lives of me, my family, and three generations."
It must be noted that Fred described his former teammate as fun and good-natured. It wasn't all doom and gloom, but the sad reality remains. It feels like we are witnessing a potentially world-class striker waste his undoubted talent.
Unai Emery's thoughts on Jhon Duran speak volumes
Duran has shown glimpses of brilliance, especially in those early years at Aston Villa. At the start of the 2024-25 season, he scored six goals in Villa's first nine games, with only one of those coming as a starter.
Unai Emery once described him as a player with “massive” potential whose limits were “impossible to predict”. In hindsight, the latter feels particularly telling given the unpredictable nature of a player John McGinn once labelled “a bit nuts”.
Perhaps the most fitting move of his career came in January 2025. After being heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, the Colombian joined Al Nassr as the Saudi Pro League's second most expensive signing ever.
Duran signed a five-and-a-half year contract with Al Nassr worth €245,000 per week, according to figures posted by Capology, and shortly after moving to Saudi Arabia, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram riding a three-wheeled motorbike.
The caption read: "Don't try to please everybody - that ain't good."
Money talks, of course, and the size of that pay cheque will, as Fred mentioned, provide financial security for Duran and his family for many years to come. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing to see such enormous potential going unfulfilled elsewhere.
Jhon Duran incident during spell at Fenebahce sums up situation
After scoring 12 goals in 18 matches for Al Nassr, Duran was loaned to Turkish side Fenebahce. If any manager was equipped to handle a character like Duran, it was Jose Mourinho. Or so you would have thought.
The striker is said to have clashed with then-manager Mourinho after arriving late for the team's pre-season training camp in Portugal.
Duran cancelled his loan move to Fenerbahce and would soon join Zenit Saint Petersburg, the sixth club of his career. Unfortunately, it didn't go to plan in Russia. In fact, he played just nine games before leaving.
After scoring just one goal in six league appearances for the Russian Premier League side,
READ MORE: Jhon Duran took 'leave of absence' at Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg
The 22-year-old, who remains contracted to Al Nassr, will be hoping to reignite his career at Benfica, who were willing to pay a £5.19 million loan fee for the Colombian and have the option to make the move permanent for £25.5 million.
Topics: Aston Villa, Premier League, Benfica, Fenerbahce, Colombia
Jack Kenmare