Benfica Pursue Loan for Colombian Forward Duran
Benfica are moving to the brink of a bold attacking gamble, with Colombian international Duran set to arrive at the Estadio da Luz on loan from Al-Nassr, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola.
The deal is as much about finance as football. Duran, 22, is travelling under a structure that sees Al-Nassr shoulder the vast majority of his hefty salary, effectively subsidising Benfica’s push to revive a career that has stalled badly in Saudi Arabia.
A €77m puzzle Benfica hope to solve
Al-Nassr paid a staggering €77 million to prise the former Aston Villa striker away in January 2025, handing him a contract worth around €20m per year through to 2030. It was the sort of move that signalled intent, a marquee signing for a league eager to flex its financial muscle.
The return has been modest. Duran has managed just 18 appearances across domestic and continental competitions, never truly settling, never justifying the fee. For a forward once tipped as one of South America’s most explosive prospects, the numbers tell a story of a career drifting off course.
That drift has now reached a decisive point. Al-Nassr CEO Jose Semedo has given Duran the green light to seek a new club this week, a formal acknowledgement that the experiment has not worked and that the player needs a different stage to recover his edge.
From false starts to a fresh stage
The warning signs were already there before Saudi Arabia. Duran, capped 17 times by Colombia, has bounced through loan spells at Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg without leaving a lasting mark.
In Turkey, he never truly imposed himself. In Russia, the situation worsened. Disciplinary issues at Zenit led to him being frozen out of the first-team squad, a damaging spell that stripped him of rhythm, confidence, and visibility at club level.
That lack of consistent football came with a brutal consequence: Duran missed out on Colombia’s 2026 World Cup squad. For a player of his age and profile, being sidelined on the biggest stage underlined just how far his stock had fallen.
Now comes a different kind of pressure. At Benfica, there will be no hiding place.
Silva’s project and a second chance in Lisbon
Duran is expected in Lisbon in the coming days to undergo his medical before officially linking up with Marco Silva’s squad. Once the paperwork is completed, there will be no gentle easing in. The plan is clear: immediate integration into pre-season, immediate exposure to Silva’s tactical demands.
Benfica are preparing for a gruelling campaign, juggling domestic ambitions with the expanded Champions League league phase. The club needs depth, goals, and variety in the final third. Duran offers all of that on paper: pace, power, and a directness that can rip open defences when he is tuned in.
The question now is whether Benfica can unlock the version of Duran that Al-Nassr believed they were buying for €77m. The structure of the loan makes the risk manageable for the Portuguese side, but the sporting stakes are huge for the player himself.
If this works, Benfica gain a high-ceiling forward at a fraction of his market cost and a weapon for the biggest nights in Europe. If it doesn’t, Duran will return to Saudi Arabia with his trajectory dipping even further.
For a 22-year-old already on his third continent in search of a breakthrough, Lisbon may not just be another stop. It may be the last chance to prove he still belongs at the sharp end of the European game.
