Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr are set to complete the signing of Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran in a deal reported to be worth £64.5 million.
The 21-year-old Colombian was an unused substitute in Villa's Uefa Champions League win over Celtic on Wednesday and was spotted saying goodbye to fans after the match.
Duran is reported to be undergoing a medical in London ahead of his proposed switch to join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte and Sadio Mane at the SPL club.
Duran started his career at Colombian side Envigado before moving to the United States to join Chicago Fire for £1.5m at the start of 2022.
A year later, after scoring eight times in 27 Major League Soccer appearances, Villa came calling and he moved to England in a £14.75m deal with potential £3m in add-ons.
Duran has mostly been used as an impact substitute during his spell at the Midlands club but has still managed to score 28 times in 78 appearances, including 12 in 29 this season.
He was named Villa's Player of the Month for September when he also won the Premier League Goal of the Month for his long-range strike that secured a 3-2 victory against Everton.
Villa's Premier League rivals West Ham United have been linked with a move for Duran – who has scored two goals in 15 appearances for his country – since last summer while Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest.
But the player has decided on a move to the kingdom where he joins a side fourth in the SPL table, ahead of taking on Al Raed on Thursday night.
Nassr have also qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite last 16 with two games still to play in the group stage.
After Villa's victory over Celtic on Wednesday, which secured their place in the competition's last 16, manager Unai Emery admitted Duran could be leaving and insisted the deal was good for the club.
“I don’t know exactly until everything is done if Jhon Duran is leaving but if he is leaving it is good news for us because it means they are paying good money,” the Spanish coach said.
“Because we have developed one young player in two years to get this offer. It is not only for the club, it is the club, the players and team, those circumstances can be positive.”
“If he is leaving it is because he prefers to do another way in his career. If he is leaving, of course, it is because he wants to."
While Emery accepts Duran's exit as being good business, he made it very clear that wants fellow striker Ollie Watkins to remain at the club.
Villa turned down a bid of £60m from Arsenal for the England international who has been a key player in the club's rise up the Premier League table.
The 29-year-old has 81 goals in 201 appearances since joining from Brentford in 2020. His assist in the draw against West Ham on Sunday took him to 100 Premier League goal contributions.
“I don't want [to sell],” said Emery after the Celtic match. “It is good news to have offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad.
“Every player can be in the market if it is good for the player and the club. To get this deal we are going to be demanding. Watkins is our striker.”
