Al Nassr join race for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran | OneFootball

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is very interested in joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna.

Paris Saint-Germain were very close to luring the Colombian away from the Villa Park club following talks with his representatives.

However, their €75 million verbal offer was knocked back by Villa and it is unknown if they plan to return with an improved bid.

Al-Nassr have the funds to outbid PSG and also offer Duran a very juicy salary, but it is the chance to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo that would be particularly appealing to the Villa star.

Linking up with the Portuguese will excite any youngster, and the 21-year-old wants the move.

While the Midlands club do not want to sell, a bid more than the €75m PSG offered could be too tempting for them to turn down, and they may be open to cashing in on Duran this month.

The player is very much open to an exit, and a move to Saudi now appears to be very appealing to him.

Villa will need to quickly wrap up the deal if they are indeed keen on selling him and quickly go for a replacement given the limited time left in the January transfer window.

They have rebuffed offers from Premier League rivals for Duran and will have to decide whether accepting top dollar from the Saudis for him is the best for the club going forward.

Villa signed him from Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire in January 2023, and he has since weighed in with 20 goals in 77 appearances.

Manager Unai Emery will be desperate to hold on to the South American beyond the current window, but an exit cannot be ruled out, especially if the player insists he wants out.