Simon Jordan has slammed Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran for his decision to move to the Saudi Pro League at the age of 21.
Former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT host Jordan said that he has ‘very little respect’ for the young talent moving to Saudi giants Al Nassr.
Duran is set for a medical with Al Nassr on Thursday ahead of completing a £64million move from Aston Villa, where he has played second-fiddle to Ollie Watkins.
Villa reached an agreement with the Saudi giants to sell Duran for an initial of fee of €77million (£64.5m), which could rise to €90m (£75m) with potential add-ons.
Villa bought Duran in 2023 for less than £18m from MLS side Chicago Fire, where he moved from Colombian outfit Envigado in 2019.
The Colombian youngster scored just five Premier League goals last season but his efforts this campaign have attracted a number of eyes.
This season, Duran has scored 12 goals across all competitions, including three times in the Champions League and seven in the English top-flight.
“I have very little respect for this player going to Saudi, I don’t. At 21 years of age, this is not a super competitive league” Jordan said.
“This is not a world stage league, and I don’t know why a 21 year old will be going there besides one thing and one thing only, money.”
“You don’t see many paupers at top-level football. You don’t go into football thinking that ultimately you’re gonna be anything other than successful, and if you go to Saudi, it’s because you’re going for one reason and one reason only, for money.
“At 21 years of age, I think that’s a shame because he’s not going into competitive football.
“I hope that he reaps the whirlwind for that in football terms. He won’t reap the whirlwind for it economically.
“How do you develop in the substandard league? How do you get better? The way you get better in most sports is by playing with people that are better than you, because it makes you drag your standard up.
“I think personally it’s disappointing for a talented 21-year-old player that clearly people think highly of talent wise.
“There might be a question about temperament and attitude and outlook and entitlement, but you’ve got a manager that’s rotating him, playing him.
“When he gets an opportunity, he takes it, he came out the side because he’s injured, he’ll get another opportunity again and he’s going to Saudi for money.
“This player’s all about money and not about the game. This player should be playing in elite football and developing his career if he wants to be an elite footballer.
“If he wants to be an elite bank balance, fair play to him” Jordan said.
talkSPORT understands Duran will bank €15m (approximately £12.5m) a year – almost £250,000 per week.
The deal will surely end Arsenal’s hopes of signing Ollie Watkins, who was the subject of a £60m bid from the Gunners on Wednesday.
January has seen both Watkins and Duran linked with a number of sides.
West Ham offered £57m for the 21-year-old, but it seems that the lure of the Saudi Pro League’s deep pockets has got the better of Duran.