One of Jhon Duran's new Al Nassr teammates has sent him a warning about life in Saudi Arabia - prior to his stunning switch from Aston Villa.
Duran has become the latest high-profile player to move to the Saudi Pro League, joining for a fee of £64.5 million.
The Colombian, who scored 12 in 29 appearances for Villa this season, has taken the No.9 shirt after putting pen to paper on a lucrative contract which will see him earn £16.7 million per year.
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He made his debut in a 4-0 AFC Champions League win over Al Wasl on Monday night, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace ahead of his 40th birthday.
Duran's new teammates include Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic and Aymeric Laporte - with the latter having been in Saudi since leaving Manchester City in 2023.
Laporte has played 58 times for the Riyadh outfit, but back in January 2024 he expressed dissatisfaction with life in the country and revealed how he and others found it difficult to adapt.
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"It is a big change compared to Europe, but in the end it is all about adaptation,” Laporte said in an interview with AS, via The Guardian.
“They have not made it easy for us. In fact, there are many players that are discontented. We are working on it every day, negotiating so to speak, and to see if it improves a little because this is something new for them too, having European players who already have a long career. Maybe they are not used to this and have to adapt to a little more seriousness.
"Many of us have also come here not only for football. Many of us are happy with that, but I am also looking for something beyond that is not the economic part and such. In terms of quality of life, I expected something different because in the end here you spend three hours a day in the car. Riyadh is a waste of traffic, of time wasted in the car.”
Duran makes decision on where he will live
According to reports, former Chicago Fire striker Duran has told his new club that he intends on living in Bahrain instead of Riyadh.
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Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson both lived in the country when at Al Ettifaq but the training ground was just an hour's drive for Bahrain.
However, Riyadh is a lot further away - more than 300 miles away - with a flight for Duran taking one hour and 20 minutes.
It's said a key reason for him wanting to live in Bahrain as there is confusion as to whether he and his other half are allowed to live in the same house given cohabitation without marriage is discouraged in the country.
Duran will be looking to open his account on Friday when Al Nassr host Al Feiha in the league.
Topics: Al Nassr, Aston Villa, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League
Josh Lawless