From Arsenal & Real Madrid transfer links to Russian obscurity: How Jhon Duran's budding career has already gone from the sublime to the downright bizarre

Krishan Davis Sat, 14 February 2026 at 6:00 am UTC·12 min read Still just 22 years old, Jhon Duran has joined the sixth club of his increasingly nomadic career and his third in the space of just 12 months, making the controversial decision to head to Russia and sign for Zenit St Petersburg. It is a little over a year since the former Aston Villa hitman was being linked with European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but after spells in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the striker is already drifting further into obscurity. Duran emerged as a potential world-beater in his second season at Aston Villa, making a name for himself as a super-sub in both the Premier League and Champions...