Benfica Secures Duran on Loan: €6.1m with €30m Buy Option

Benfica have made their move up front, confirming the arrival of Colombian striker Duran from Al-Nassr on a season-long loan for the 2026-27 campaign – and they have not come cheap to the table.

The Lisbon giants will pay €6.1 million for the loan, a hefty outlay for a one-year stay, but the numbers underline how much they believe in the 22-year-old. Built into the deal is a €30m option to buy at the end of the season, a figure that would place him among the club’s biggest investments if exercised.

“Biggest club in Portugal”

Duran did not bother hiding his excitement. He walked in the door already talking like a man who wants to leave a mark.

“I’m very grateful to God, just as I said when I arrived,” he said. “I’m happy! I still say that it’s the biggest club in Portugal. I’m very grateful to be here. I have very high expectations for my time here. I want to play well, give it my all, and become a champion.”

No cautious language, no talk of adaptation periods. He is aiming straight for titles.

The Colombian has promised to pour everything into the move. “I want to work hard and help my team,” he added, framing the loan as a chance to relaunch his European career at a club where pressure is constant and goals are non-negotiable.

From Envigado to Europe’s spotlight

Duran’s path to Lisbon has been fast and, at times, dizzying.

He first surfaced at Envigado, the Colombian club renowned for polishing raw talent. From there he jumped to MLS with Chicago Fire, where his blend of power and promise drew eyes from across the Atlantic. Aston Villa moved in January 2023, taking him to the Premier League and pushing his name onto a bigger stage.

The next step was even more dramatic. Al-Nassr paid €77m to secure his signature, a statement fee that came with huge expectations. Game time and rhythm, though, proved harder to find, and the Saudi club sent him on successive loans to Fenerbahce and Zenit to keep his development moving.

Now he circles back to Europe’s mainstream with Benfica, a club that has built its modern identity on turning potential into profit and prospects into champions. For Duran, this is less a detour and more a crossroads.

International edge at 22

At 22, Duran already arrives with a national-team résumé. He has 17 caps and three goals for Colombia, experience that toughens a young forward and exposes him to pressure far beyond club football.

That background matters at Benfica. The club expects its centre-forwards to carry the weight of title races, Champions League nights and the scrutiny of a demanding fanbase. Duran’s international minutes suggest he will not be intimidated by the stage.

The numbers of the deal tell one story: €6.1m now, €30m later if everything clicks. The player’s words tell another: a striker convinced he can turn this loan into something permanent, and silver. The rest will be decided under the lights at Estádio da Luz.