Agbonlahor Praises Unai Emery for Ditching “Bad Apple”

Former England international Gabriel Agbonlahor has weighed in on striker Jhon Durán's career at Aston Villa.

Yesterday, the Colombian signed with Benfica on loan from Al-Nassr, with a €30 million option to buy. In January 2025, the forward moved to the Saudi club for €77 million from Unai Emery's Aston Villa.

“When Jhon Durán left Aston Villa, many were unhappy, but the manager made the right call. Sometimes you have bad apples, and Unai Emery deserves credit for getting rid of him. Would I want him back? No, I think he would have caused real chaos in the dressing room,” Agbonlahor stated.

Durán played on loan for Russian club Zenit during the second half of the 2025/26 season. The Colombian featured in 9 matches across all competitions, scoring twice from the penalty spot.