Benfica's Move for Duran: A Fresh Start in Lisbon
Benfica are closing in on a deal for Colombian international Duran, gambling that a striker who has lost his way can be reborn under the lights of the Estadio da Luz.
The 22-year-old is set to join on loan from Al-Nassr, with the Saudi club agreeing to shoulder most of his hefty salary to push the move through, according to A Bola. For a player on a contract worth around €20 million a year until 2030, that financial compromise is the only way this transfer happens.
From €77m statement signing to surplus
Al-Nassr paid €77m to prise Duran away from Villa in January 2025, a marquee signing meant to underline the Saudi Pro League’s pulling power. It never clicked.
Eighteen appearances across domestic and continental competitions is a thin return for that kind of outlay. No rhythm, no real run of games, and certainly no justification for the fee. This week, CEO Jose Semedo effectively drew a line under the experiment, giving Duran the green light to find a new club and revive a career that has stalled alarmingly.
The path to Lisbon is being cleared because both parties know he needs a reset. Al-Nassr want minutes and value from an asset; Benfica want firepower without blowing up their wage structure. The loan, with the Saudis paying the bulk of his salary, suits everyone—on paper at least.
A career drifting off course
Duran arrives in Portugal with a CV that hints at talent but screams instability. The Colombia international, capped 17 times, has already bounced through two unsuccessful loan spells at Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.
Turkey never truly embraced him. Russia went worse. Disciplinary issues at Zenit saw him frozen out of the first team, a damaging spell that stripped him of both sharpness and status. The lack of regular club football had a predictable consequence: he missed out on Colombia’s 2026 World Cup squad, a brutal marker of how far his stock has fallen in a short space of time.
For a forward once seen as a long-term pillar of the national team, that omission will sting. Benfica are effectively betting that the pain fuels a response.
Silva’s project and a second chance
Duran is expected in Lisbon in the coming days for his medical before linking up with Marco Silva’s squad. There will be no easing in. The plan is to drop him straight into pre-season work, forcing him to absorb the tactical demands and intensity as quickly as possible.
Silva wants a front line that presses, combines, and punishes. If Duran buys in, his physical profile and international experience could give Benfica a different edge in the final third. If he doesn’t, he becomes just another expensive name passing through.
The timing matters. Benfica face a demanding season, juggling the domestic grind with the new-look Champions League league phase. Depth in attack is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Duran’s arrival is designed to thicken the options, to ensure that injuries or dips in form do not derail a campaign built on ambition.
For Benfica, it is a calculated risk. For Duran, it feels like something else entirely: a last, clear runway to prove that the player Al-Nassr paid €77m for is still in there, waiting to emerge under the Lisbon floodlights.
