Riyadh Victory's strategy was flawed; €77 million wasted. At 22, Duran has played in four different leagues over two years.

The Asian league paid €77 million to acquire a forward from the Premier League, yet he departed after only half a year—such things are typical only in the extravagant Saudi Pro League.

According to the latest from French outlet Footmercato's journalist Santi Aouna, 22-year-old Colombian striker Duran has exited Fenerbahçe and is set to transfer to Zenit in the Russian Premier League.

Duran is a remarkable striker—not quite at the level of Mbappé, but with an even more unpredictable mind. In two years, he has played in four different leagues: Premier League → Saudi Pro League → Turkish Süper Lig → Russian Premier League. Isn’t that extraordinary?

Duran gained early fame at MLS club Chicago Fire and moved to the Premier League’s Aston Villa in the 2023 winter transfer window for €29.5 million. Two years later, in the 2025 winter window, he transferred to Saudi Pro League’s Riyadh Victory for a hefty €77 million. However, both Duran and Ronaldo play as target men, making them clearly incompatible. Riyadh Victory’s recruitment strategy was evidently flawed, and the €77 million investment was essentially wasted. Duran played only half a season for Riyadh Victory before being loaned to Turkish Süper Lig’s Fenerbahçe. After just another half season, he is leaving again—this time to Russian club Zenit. This means Duran has played in four different leagues over the past two years, earning him the label of a “remarkable striker” in football circles.

Duran is currently 22 years old, stands 1.85 meters tall, is a left-footed center forward, and is under contract with Riyadh Victory until 2030. Transfermarkt values him at €32 million. His recent stats for the last three clubs are as follows:Aston Villa: 78 appearances, 20 goals, 1 assist; Riyadh Victory: 18 appearances, 12 goals, 0 assists; Fenerbahçe: 21 appearances, 5 goals, 3 assists