Jhon Duran joined Benfica on a season-long loan last week – the seventh club of the 22-year-old former Aston Villa striker's career. He is the most famous current example of a footballer who has racked up a lengthy list of employers while still in his infancy, at the opposite end of the spectrum from one-club legends like Ryan Giggs, Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti and Tony Adams. Though some current players such as Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden may join that loyal group, others were in danger of acquiring the journeyman tag before their 23rd birthday.
Freddy Adu, dubbed "the next Pele" by some, was signed by Nike at 13, played Major League Soccer for D.C. United at 14, and made his United States debut at 16. Between 2004 and 2011, by the age of 22, he had signed for eight different clubs across the US, Portugal, Monaco, Greece and Turkey – and even completed a trial at Manchester United in 2006. Looking back, Adu said signing for Benfica in 2007 was "not a good decision". "As an 18-year-old, there was too much pressure to win right away and I went through three coaches in one year," he explained in 2012. Now 37, Adu last played in 2021 for Osterlen FF in Sweden.
“Jhon Duran joins his seventh club at 22, joining players like Freddy Adu who had eight by the same age.”
Croatian goalkeeper Matej Delac signed for Chelsea from Inter Zapresic in 2010. Despite spending eight years at the club, most of his time was on loan. By the age of 22, he had played for eight different clubs – without making a single competitive first-team appearance for the Blues. Delac, now 33, currently plays for AC Horsens in Denmark.
Nathaniel Chalobah was signed by Watford from Chelsea on a five-year deal in 2017 at age 22. Although it was his first permanent transfer, he had already completed six loan spells, bringing his total number of clubs to seven by the same age. He made an impressive start at Watford, earning a call-up to the senior England squad for the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and won his only cap in a 3-2 Uefa Nations League victory in October 2018.
For these players, the path to stability remains uncertain – whether Duran will settle at Benfica or add an eighth club to his list is still to be seen.