Victor Boniface’s Al-Nassr Move Collapses as Club Signs Jhon Durán Instead

Nigeria international Victor Boniface will not be joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Al-Nassr had verbally agreed on a €60 million transfer fee with Bayer Leverkusen for the 24-year-old forward, who also settled on personal terms and passed his medical. However, the Saudi club stalled on completing the payment.

Boniface, who secretly extended his contract with Leverkusen last week—raising his salary to €6 million per year until 2029—had agreed to a lucrative €15 million per year deal with Al-Nassr. Despite the significantly higher wages, the transfer was delayed due to Al-Nassr’s hesitation.

The Saudi club has now shifted its focus to Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán, agreeing to pay over €70 million for the Colombian forward—€10 million more than Boniface’s proposed fee. Durán, 25, is set to earn €18 million per year, €3 million more than Boniface was offered. His transfer is expected to be finalized after Al-Nassr’s UEFA Champions League match against Celtic.

With Durán’s deal in place, Boniface will remain at Bayer Leverkusen until at least the summer. He is expected to leave after falling out with club officials and losing his starting spot to Patrik Schick.