Ex-PL player blasts Benfica recruit: Everyone wanted rid (Video) | OneFootball

Jhon Durán, Benfica’s new signing, has once again made headlines, this time because of comments from Gabriel Agbonlahor, former Aston Villa striker. The Englishman looked back on the Colombian international’s spell in the Premier League and was highly critical of the forward’s recent career path.

"When he left Aston Villa, the fans were a little upset, but the manager made the right decision. He moved to Al Nassr in January 2025 for 77 million euros and, since then, has been loaned to Fenerbahçe, Zenit and now Benfica. There is a 30-million-euro purchase option in the deal. He is 22 years old. Look at what has happened to him in 17 months", he said in comments to talkSPORT.

The former England international went even further and pointed to a pattern in the Colombian’s career. "Sometimes players are like that. Unai Emery did well to get rid of him. Every manager who has had him as a player has wanted to move him on, that’s what it looks like", he said.

Asked about the possibility of seeing Jhon Durán return to Aston Villa, Agbonlahor was blunt and left no room for doubt. "No. I think he would cause chaos in the dressing room", he replied, reinforcing the idea that the forward would not be an asset to the English club.

Despite the criticism coming from England, Durán is now preparing to begin a new chapter at Benfica. At 22, the Colombian international will have the chance to relaunch his career under Marco Silva.

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