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Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he was ‘surprised’ by Jhon Duran’s big-money move from Aston Villa to the Saudi Pro League in January.
Duran, 21, was just beginning to make a name for himself in English football with Villa, scoring 12 goals in the first half of the season, despite playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins for the most part.
But the Colombian made no secret of his grievances over a lack of regular playing time under Unai Emery and his future was the subject of intense speculation throughout the January transfer window.
Several top sides were alerted to a potential move for Duran, including Barcelona and West Ham, while Arsenal reportedly made an approach for the young striker.
But Al-Nassr jumped to the front of the queue for Duran’s signature with the deadline approaching and went on to agree a deal worth in the region of £64million for the forward.
Since signing on the dotted line, Duran has enjoyed a dream start with his new club, becoming the first player to score twice on their Al-Nassr debut since the Saudi Pro League’s rebrand in 2008.
Wenger enjoyed Duran’s double in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win over Al-Fayha but admits the attacker’s decision to switch teams midway through the season came as something of a surprise.
‘Duran is a young player. He played at Aston Villa where he was adored and loved,’ Wenger told Al-Nassr’s official website during a visit to the club this week.
‘It was a surprise that during the season, from the Premier League, he moves to the Saudi Pro League.
‘But congratulations, they have done a good job there.’
Wenger has been impressed by Al-Nassr’s evolution in recent years, with the club successfully capturing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte prior to Duran’s arrival.
‘For me, Saudi and Al-Nassr have great coaches,’ the iconic Frenchman, who currently serves as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, added.
‘They have great players, they have a world figure number one with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is an example for every young player.
‘So the basic ingredients are there to do well and to develop well.
‘Overall, I would say big club, big players, great staff and, of course, financial potential as well.
‘But more than everything else, it is linked with good decisions and, to me, they make good decisions here.’
Facing the media after his eye-catching debut, Duran said he was ‘very happy’ to be able learn from five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
‘I’m very happy to share the pitch and learn from the best athlete in the world,’ he told reporters.
‘For me, he is the biggest star in football and I am very happy to learn from him.
‘Scoring with the football king is like playing a career in FIFA.’
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