Jhon Durán

Jhon Jader Durán Palacios (born 13 December 2003) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Colombia national team.
Durán was born in Zaragoza, Antioquia, then moved with his family to Aranjuez neighborhood in Medellín.
Durán made his professional debut for Envigado on 13 February 2019 against Jaguares de Córdoba in the Copa Colombia, having played for the club at youth level since he was 11 years old. Durán scored his first goal on 1 September, in his third appearance for the club, against Águilas Doradas Rionegro. This made Durán the second-youngest goalscorer in Categoría Primera A, at the age of 15 years and 8 months.
In October 2020, Durán was included in The Guardian's "60 of the best young talents in world football" list.
On 11 January 2021, Chicago Fire announced an agreement to acquire Durán from Envigado on an initial three-year deal, with options in place for a further two years. The contract would begin on 1 January 2022. The transfer fee was reported to be £1.5 million. The signing was sanctioned by Chicago Fire's technical director Sebastian Pelzer, who spotted 17-year old Durán while watching another player at his former club.
Durán made his Chicago Fire debut on 26 February 2022 against Inter Miami. He scored his first goal for the club on 14 May 2022 against FC Cincinnati.
On 16 January 2023, Premier League club Aston Villa announced an agreement to sign Durán: subject to a medical, personal terms and a work visa. Durán left the Colombian camp for the 2023 South American U-20 Championship to fly to England to complete the transfer, which was made official on 23 January. The transfer fee was reported to be an initial £14.75 million, with the potential of a further £3 million in add-ons. On 4 February, Durán made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in a 4–2 defeat to Leicester City.
On 20 August, Durán scored his first Villa goal as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Everton. On 31 August, Durán scored his first goal in a European competition in a 3–0 UEFA Europa Conference League victory over Scottish club Hibernian. In September, Durán scored a chested half-volley in a league game against Crystal Palace, which went on to be awarded Villa's Goal of the Season at the club's End of Season Awards ceremony. On 13 May 2024, he scored his first brace at the club by netting late goals in a 3–3 draw against Liverpool following a two-goal deficit, keeping his club's pursuit for a UEFA Champions League berth.
While being linked with transfers to West Ham United and Chelsea, Durán was not included in Villa’s pre-season squad, and caused controversy by emulating West Ham’s "hammers" gesture in a livestream. However, on 17 August, Durán scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over West Ham, having started as a substitute, celebrating by reinstating his commitment to Villa. He then scored consecutive winning goals as a substitute against Leicester City and Everton, with the latter being a widely lauded long-range effort. On 2 October, he scored his first Champions League goal, securing a 1–0 victory against Bayern Munich by lobbing Manuel Neuer from distance. Five days later, Durán signed a new contract with Villa until 2030. On the same day, his goal against Everton was named BBC Goal of the Month for September. Durán was named Villa's player of the month for September, and his goal against Everton was also awarded the official Premier League Goal of the Month award for that month. On 26 December, Durán was sent off in a league game against Newcastle United, and was subsequently fined and banned for three games.
On 31 January 2025, Durán joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £64m plus add-ons. He scored twice in his Saudi Pro League debut on 7 February in a 3–0 home win over Al-Fayha.
Durán represented the Colombia national under-17 team at the 2019 South American U-17 Championship.
Durán made his senior international debut for Colombia against Guatemala on 24 September 2022, replacing Radamel Falcao as a half-time substitute. On 28 March 2023, he scored his first international goal against Japan, on his first full appearance for the Colombian team.
Colombia
Individual