Club deny rift between Jose Mourinho and former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran just days after transfer
Fenerbahce have moved to deny reports of a rift between their boss Jose Mourinho and Jhon Duran just days after the former Villa striker joined the club.
Reports in the Spanish press on Wednesday included quotes from Mourinho, warning Duran of “consequences” after it was claimed the Colombia international had failed to turn up for the first day of training camp.
That prompted a swift response from Fenerbahce, who claimed Mourinho had never said anything of the sort.
A club spokesman said: "The statements made by our manager Jose Mourinho in the foreign press regarding our player Jhon Duran are completely false.
"Our manager has not made a statement on the matter. Our player arrived in Portugal this evening to join our team's Algarve camp."
Duran sealed a season-long loan switch to Fenerbahce earlier this month, less than six months after leaving Villa and joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in a deal which could eventually be worth more than £70million.
The 21-year-old, who had arrived in an £18m switch from Chicago Fire two years earlier, scored 12 goals in all competitions during the first half of last season for Villa despite making the majority of his appearances off the bench.
But the big-money offer from Al-Nassr ultimately proved too tempting to turn down, with the fee going a long way to helping the club comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
