Jhon Durán: The Colombian Super-sub
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Jannik Skorna
Brief Description (as of publication date)
Player Name: Jhon Durán
Age: 20
Height: 1.85 metres (6 feet, 1 inch)
Foot: Left
Nationality: Colombia 🇨🇴
Position: Centre-Forward
Club: Aston Villa 🏴
Current Market Value: €35 million
"The way [Jhon Durán] plays, he's such a handful for defenders. When he comes on with all that energy, he knows he'll get that chance and backs himself 100%,” said Aston Villa player — and current Durán teammate — Morgan Rogers after the Premier League (EPL) club’s 1-0 win in UEFA Champions League (UCL) against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich on October 2, 2024.
Despite being only 20 years old, Durán garnered ample professional football experience since aged 15, which culminated in the Colombian becoming a reliable and effective squad rotation player in one of the Premier League’s (EPL’s) best-performing clubs.
Early Years, Youth Career and Going Pro
The young Colombian forward was born on December 13, 2003 in the rural municipality of Zaragoza in Antioquia, Colombia. According to the BBC, during his childhood, Durán and his family moved to a barrio — an impoverished district — in Medellín, Colombia’s second-biggest city. In 2015, aged 11, Durán joined the academy of Categoría Primeira A (Colombian first division) club Envigado FC.
The young Colombian effectively became an academy member of a club renowned nationwide for developing several Colombia national team players, such as Fredy Guarín, Juan Fernando Quintero and James Rodríguez. Durán also became teammates with Colombian defender Carlos Terán, who would play with Durán for several years to come.
On February 13, 2019, the young prodigy made his debut for that club’s first team against fellow Colombian first division club Jaguars de Córdoba in the Copa Colombia, that nation’s domestic club cup competition.
After four years in that club’s academy, on July 1, 2019, Durán signed with Envigado’s senior team aged 15. On September 1 of that year, in his third appearance for the club’s senior team, Durán scored his first professional goal against league rivals Águilas Doradas Rionegro. On that day, Durán — aged 15 years and eight months at that time — became the second-youngest goalscorer in the history of Colombia’s first division.
Overall, despite being a highly touted forward, Durán’s tenure with Envigado’s senior team did not involve significant goal production. Throughout the 2019 season, the then-Colombian teenager produced one goal and one assist in 10 matches across all competitions. In 2020, Durán encountered a difficult season, producing zero goals and assists in 13 matches. In 2021, however, Durán experienced a breakout season, producing eight goals and three assists in 24 matches in all competitions.
Despite underwhelming goal production throughout the first three professional seasons (he was a teenager after all), in October 2020, The Guardian listed Durán among their 2019 top 60 footballers born in 2003. That list of prodigy footballers includes the likes of midfielders Rayan Cherki, Jamal Musiala, Xavi Simons and Florian Wirtz.
Coming to America
On January 11, 2021, Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire FC signed Durán from Envigado for a transfer fee worth €1.7 million (≈ US$2.5 million); the Colombian forward penned a three-year deal valid until December 2024. However, the Colombian forward continued playing for Envigado before arriving at The Windy City on January 1, 2022. His arrival marked a second signing from Envigado in as many years after that of defender Carlos Terán.
Throughout the 2022 season, Durán quickly became the starting forward for Chicago. In 28 matches (1,442+ minutes) across all competitions — MLS and U.S. Open Cup — the Colombian forward produced eight goals and five assists, all of which occurred in his 27 appearances throughout the 2022 MLS regular season. Durán’s goal production placed him as the club top-scorer and Golden Boot winner, finishing one goal above former Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri. Despite a laudable first season in North America, Durán and Chicago missed the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs; Chicago’s last MLS Cup appearance occurred in 2017.
Crossing the Pond
On January 23, 2023 — after playing only one season in MLS — Chicago sold Durán to Premier League (EPL) club Aston Villa for a base fee worth €16.6 million (≈ US$18 million), representing a staggering €14.9 million profit within one year. According to EPSN, after add-ons, Durán’s transfer — US$22 million — represents the third-largest sale in MLS history, behind those of Miguel Almirón from Atlanta United to Newcastle United for US$26 million and Alphonso Davies from Vancouver Whitecaps to Bayern Munich for US$22 million.
The Colombian prodigy earned his EPL debut on February 4, 2023 against league rivals Leicester City, which ended in a 4-2 loss for Durán and The Villains. From his debut to the end of the 2022-23 season, the Colombian appeared in 12 matches (126+ minutes), and did not produce a goal nor an assist.
Throughout the following season — 2023-24 — despite being a backup forward behind English international Ollie Watkins, Durán quickly developed into a reliable squad rotation player. On August 20, 2023 — matchday 2 of the 2023-24 season — Durán came off the bench and scored his first career EPL goal against Everton FC; the match ended in a decisive 4-0 victory for Aston Villa.
Only 11 days later, in the second leg match of the UEFA Conference League (UECL) qualifiers, Durán scored another goal for the Birmingham-based club during a 3-0 home victory against Scottish Premiership club Hibernian FC. Between both matches, Villa ultimately won that contest 8-0 on aggregate and qualified for the third edition of the UECL.
Less than a month later, Durán scored his second EPL goal of the season, once again as a late substitute. Durán’s goal levelled the score 1-1 against league rivals Crystal Palace; two additional goals by Durán’s teammates — Douglas Luiz and Leon Bailey — sealed a 3-1 victory for The Villains. Five days later, Durán found the back of the net again, this time in Villa’s UECL opening group stage match against Polish club Legia Warszawa, which ended in a 3-2 away loss.
Throughout the 2023-24 season, Durán scored an additional UECL goal against Ajax during the second leg match — a 4-0 win — in that competition’s round of 16. Villa ultimately lost in the UECL semifinals by a 6-2 aggregate score against eventual 2023-24 UECL winners Olympiacos.
In league action, since his goal against Crystal Palace, Durán scored three additional goals, including a brace in the penultimate match of the season, which ended in a 3-3 draw against league heavyweights Liverpool FC. Durán ultimately helped Aston Villa finish in fourth place of the 2023-24 EPL table, and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1983 under the old UEFA European Cup format. Overall, Durán finished the 2023-24 season with eight goals in 37 matches (1,103+ minutes) across all competitions.
A Formidable Season
In the 2024-25 season — so far — Durán doubled-down on his goal production, effectively becoming a bonafide “super-sub” known for scoring late and crucial goals as a substitute. In 18 matches (626+ minutes) across all competitions, Durán netted eight goals — half of which occurred in EPL action, with two apiece in UCL and the EFL Cup, England’s league cup competition (not to be confused with the FA Cup). Similar to last season, Durán exploded throughout the first dozen matches, scoring all four of his EPL goals in Villa’s first five matches — all as a substitute — including against such opponents as West Ham United (matchday 1) and Everton FC (matchday 4).
In UCL action, Duran scored one match-winning goal and another insurance goal. The first goal occurred on matchday 2 in a shocking 1-0 victory against German giants Bayern Munich, whereas the second goal came on the following matchday against Bologna FC, which resulted in a 2-0 victory.
In the EFL Cup, Durán started and scored in both of Villa’s matches. In the third round — to which The Villains earned a bye — on September 24, 2024, the 20-year-old scored a penalty-kick goal and eventual match-winner against EFL League One (English third division) club Wycombe Wanderers; Villa won that match by a 2-1 score. In the following round — the round of 16 — on October 30, 2024, Durán scored and brought Villa level at one goal apiece with EPL rivals Crystal Palace. However, the Birmingham-based club ultimately lost that match by a 2-1 score, effectively crashing out of the 2024-25 EFL Cup.
Despite slowing down over recent weeks, Durán’s production surpassed that of last season, and he is on track to score double-digit EPL goals this season. It is also worth noting that Villa’s UCL performances may remain contingent on Durán’s goalscoring and productivity in the final-third of the pitch.
As a reward for his formidable performances off the bench, Durán and The Villains agreed to a new contract that would theoretically keep him at the club until June 2030.
International Career
Despite being a bright talent with significant potential, Durán did not garner significant experience at the international youth level. For example, between 2019 and 2022, Durán appeared in four matches for Colombia’s U-17 and U-20 squads, both of which were coached by fellow Colombian Héctor Cárdenas. In those four matches — two matches for each team — Durán did not produce a goal or assist. Durán’s pair of appearances with Colombia’s U-17 squad took place in March 2019 during the 2019 U-17 South American Championship, a competition comprising South America’s 10 U-17 national teams. In that tournament, Colombia finished fifth- and last-place of their group, losing all four matches.
At the senior level, the Colombian forward earned his first appearance on September 25, 2022, in which he played a full half in a 4-1 international friendly win against Guatemala. During that international window, on September 28, 2022, Durán also appeared as an 89th-minute substitute in a 3-2 friendly victory against Mexico.
In competitive matches, since the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign in September 2023, Durán has appeared in eight World Cup qualifying matches, most of which as a second-half substitute.
The Colombian prodigy also appeared in one match during the 2024 Copa América group stage, playing 13 minutes as a substitute on matchday 2 against Costa Rica. Colombia reached the final of that competition, but ultimately lost against defending Copa América and World Cup winners Argentina by a 1-0 score after extra-time.
In total, Durán played in 15 international matches (523+ minutes). Throughout these matches the young Colombian forward produced two goals: one on March 28, 2023 in a friendly against Japan, and another on October 15, 2024 in World Cup qualifying against Chile. Also in World Cup qualifying action, on September 6, 2024, Durán provided his first and only international assist — so far — in a 1-1 draw against Peru.
Ascending Transfer Value
Source: Transfermarkt
Upon entering professional football and debuting with Envigado FC, Durán boasted a transfer value of €300,000. However, only six months later, the Colombian rookie’s value more than doubled to €650,000. Then, in April 2022, one month since his debut with Chicago Fire, Durán saw his value increase to €1.8 million; in November 2022 — at the end of the season — Durán’s value skyrocketed to €6.0 million.
In March 2023, around two months since his arrival at Aston Villa, the then-19-year-old’s value reached €12.0 million, breaking through the eight-figure threshold. Despite his slow integration into The Villains’s squad and adaptation to the EPL’s style of play, by October 2023 — the early weeks of the 2023-24 season — Durán’s value increased to €17.0 million. By the end of that season, in May 2024 — now aged 20 — that value elevated to €20.0 million.
Given Durán’s strong end to the 2023-24 season and a blistering start to the 2024-25 season, in October 2024, Durán’s transfer value increased to €35 million, which remains his current transfer value.
As of writing, Durán’s current valuation places him 204th among all players worldwide. Among centre-forwards across the world, Durán’s value ranks 35th. With respect to Durán’s birth year, the Colombian’s transfer valuation ranks 14th among players across the world that were born in 2003.
Moreover, among players in the EPL, Durán’s value ranks 93rd, which puts him tied with fellow EPL players that include Newcastle United forward, Harvey Barnes, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma, Arsenal FC defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Durán’s transfer valuation and those of the aforementioned players rank behind those of Aston Villa and Newcastle United midfielders Boubacar Kamara and Sandro Tonali, as well as Arsenal, Manchester City and West Ham United defenders Jurrien Timber, John Stones and Maximilian Kilman.
Finally, among his teammates at the international level and fellow Colombians, Durán’s value ranks in second place, only behind that of fellow Colombian and Liverpool FC forward Luis Díaz, who is valued at €80.0 million. As well, Durán’s valuation is worth €13.0 million more than fellow countryman and Crystal Palace defender Daniel Muňoz, who is valued at €23.0 million and is Colombia’s third-highest-valued player.
Playing Style
Durán’s physique — measured at 1.85 metres and 73 kilograms (6 feet, 1 inch and 160.9 pounds) — enables him to play as a modern-day physical forward that generally prefers playing in the air when positioned in the final third of the pitch. For instance, Durán wins an average of 1.96 aerial duels per 90 minutes, placing him fourth-highest among EPL players.
However, Durán also plays a very defensive role for The Villains. According to ESPN, he averages 0.98 tackles per 90 minutes, placing him in third place among all EPL forwards. This type of playing style is a testament to the changing attacking style of play, whereby forwards regularly contribute while the team plays defence.
As well, despite being an efficient forward when airborne, Durán excels at scoring long-distance goals — colloquially known as “screamers” — which many forwards today either lack this ability or elect not to shoot from far in order to adhere to a rigorous tactical system. Despite constant unrelated banter concerning CBS Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, he rightly stated that Duran’s “screamers” are a rare feature in today’s game.
Although a forward with a knack for long-distance goalscoring is a rare feature, it also represents an important one to a club’s tactical plans, especially when factoring a modern goalkeeper’s tendency to regularly move the ball and become more involved in a team’s transition to attacking plays, which generally results in goalkeepers playing — and likely to be caught — out of position.
Player Comparisons: What Others Are Saying
Regarding player similarities, ESPN pundits drew comparisons between the playing style and prestige of Durán to those of Romelu Lukaku, and former Colombian internationals Radamel Falcao and Juan Pablo Ángel.
Concerning Lukaku, Durán certainly emulates the Belgian international’s physicality. One can also draw parallels between the defensive roles of Duràn at Villa and Lukaku at Serie A club Napoli, and during his previous roles as Serie A clubs AS Roma and Inter Milan, as well as at EPL clubs Everton and Manchester United.
With respect to fellow Colombians, Colombians expect Durán to materialize into a player whose skills compare to those of former Colombian internationals Falcao and Ángel. While all young Colombian forwards may idolize Falcao — particularly because of his iconic scoring prowess that peaked in the early 2010s — Durán aims to emulate the style of play and off-pitch impact of Ángel.
According to Wilberth Perea — Durán’s coach at Envigado, who also converted Durán from a winger to a conventional centre-forward — Durán always idolized Ángel for his style of play and being Colombia’s main forward during Durán’s development years.
Ángel also played for Aston Villa during his best years and served as their primary forward for a period equivalent to six seasons, including five full seasons. During the former Colombian international’s tenure at Villa Park, Ángel mustered two double-digit goalscoring seasons in 2001-02 and 2003-04, netting 12 and 16 goals, respectively.
Moreover, Durán also viewed Ángel as a mentor to obtain insight on MLS. Following his tenure at Villa, in summer 2007, Ángel signed with MLS club New York Red Bulls, with which he played for 3.5 seasons from 2007 to 2010. In 2011 and 2012, the former Colombian international also played for Los Angeles-based MLS clubs LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.
More importantly, Ángel personally welcomed Durán to The Villains via a video displayed in the empty stadium on Durán’s date of arrival. Given his ascending career, expect several more comparisons between Durán and Lukaku or Ángel.
Immense Potential
Over the past three years, the young Colombian forward exhibited performances that equate to those of a world-class calibre when aggregated for 90 minutes. In particular, Durán averages an expected-goals value of 0.98 per 90 minutes, which places him in the 99th percentile among EPL players (friendly reminder that the EPL is the highest-rated and most prestigious football league in the world).
As well, with such an efficient defensive production, Durán can also become among the best defensive forwards in the world. That said, such a style of play for a forward perfectly suits the physical and fast-paced playing style of the EPL and can serve as a unique feature to the Colombian national team, especially in a confederation that is not renowned for developing defensive-minded forwards.
Furthermore, as previously mentioned, Durán’s ability to score “screamers” may disrupt today’s systems-based playing style, and thereby force other forwards to re-think and possibly tweak their approach to scoring goals.
However, Durán should improve his dribbling. To that end, the 20-year-old can draw upon the playing styles of current Manchester City forward Erling Haaland and former forward Didier Drogba. Both players are known to play a physical game, while also having mastered the art of dribbling through and around their opponents.
Ultimately, Durán’s career progression signifies that Ángel is a perfect role model for young Colombian forwards. However, to enhance his career trajectory, Durán should continue to maintain his current outstanding skills, and work to expand his playing style by enhancing such skills as dribbling, and even passing. By incorporating these skills successfully, Durán can become the forward that the next generation of Colombians admire and idolize. Having yet to win a major trophy, a piece of silverware or two would certainly increase these chances!
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