Credit: Imago
Thu 29 January 2026 7:55, UK
Everton may have been given a blessing in disguise amid late-window links with Al-Nassr striker Jhon Duran.
Former Aston Villa striker Duran is a target for Everton, as well as fellow Premier League sides Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.
The links with the Colombia international come amid growing suggestions that Beto could be on his way out of Everton.
Any deal for Duran would be complicated, however, as he is currently on loan with Fenerbahce and is said to be happy where he is.
Credit: ImagoJhon Duran would be better option than Everton’s first choice
For a while it looked as though Everton would be going all out to sign Youssef En-Nesyri before the 2 February deadline.
The irony being, of course, that En-Nesyri also plays for Fenerbahce – albeit he is permanently on their books, rather than a loanee.
But Everton missing out on En-Nesyri, as has looked the case for a while now, could turn out to be a positive.
Duran seems like a far better option on the face of it, given his age and the fact he is already proven – to an extent – in English football.
The 22-year-old scored 20 goals in 78 appearances for Villa prior to joining Al-Nassr a year ago.
While that figure hardly screams prolific striker, he was often rotated in and out of the side and took his chances more times than not.
Unlike En-Nesyri, Duran is surely a supporter that gets Everton fans a little more excited if there is any indication a deal can be struck with Al-Nassr.
For that to happen, though, Fenerbahce will first have to terminate his loan spell.
How does Duran compare to Beto and Thierno Barry?
It would be unfair to compare Duran’s figures from his time in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to Beto’s and Thierno Barry’s from in the Premier League.
So using just figures from the latter only – as highlighted by the Sofascore graphic below – it is clear to see that Duran outranks the Everton duo in a number of areas.
Credit: Sofascore
Duran has just one fewer goal than Beto in considerably fewer matches, while his conversion rate is the best of the trio.
He also comes out on top for goal-conversion percentage and averages a higher Sofascore rating of the three players, albeit there is not a massive amount between them.
Still, this is a deal that makes sense on the face of it for Everton if something can be agreed, particularly if Beto is offloaded and funds brought in through that sale.
Stay up to date this winter with our Everton transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at Hill Dickinson, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.