Journalist warns Benfica over Durán arrival: could wreck dressing room | OneFootball

The arrival of Jhon Durán at Benfica continues to spark debate over the strong competition he is expected to create in the Eagles' attack. Rafael Soares analyzed the impact of signing the Colombian international and highlighted the battle for a starting spot that is expected with Vangelis Pavlidis, raising doubts about how Durán might react if he is not the first choice in the biggest matches.

In the commentator’s view, the competition could be extremely beneficial for both forwards, as long as there is team spirit. Even so, he recalled that the Colombian’s disciplinary record raises some questions.

"The truth is that Benfica have a fine striker, despite a few quieter months, Pavlidis is a fine striker. This battle can be good for both of them if they have the right mindset for it. Pavlidis has never had any behavioral issues, but Durán raises doubts in that regard. If he is the same one from Aston Villa, it is all positive; if not, it is all negative. Durán’s talent is enough to blow the league apart... or the dressing room".

Rafael Soares chose not to go deeper into the controversies surrounding the Colombian forward’s personal life, such as the alleged troubled relationship with Richard Ríos, but admitted that some episodes from the past justify caution regarding the impact the player could have in the dressing room.

The journalist recalled that Durán was already involved in some behavioral problems during his spell at Aston Villa and questioned whether the Colombian international would accept a secondary role if Pavlidis keeps his place in the starting lineup: "Those are the things that make me distrust Durán, because he certainly has talent. At Aston Villa he performed very well, although he left after one or two behavioral issues, in addition to Al Nassr’s huge offer. I also have doubts about Durán’s role. Will he accept that it’s not him and ten others?".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.