Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ‘closer than ever’ to signing Fluminense forward Jhon Arias ahead of West Ham United, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After appointing Thomas Frank as the new manager, the Lilywhites are prioritising strengthening the frontline and have reportedly agreed on a £55m deal with the Hammers to sign Mohammed Kudus.
However, Fichajes state that along with signing the Ghanaian international, Spurs have also expressed their interest in Arias, having been impressed by his performances in the Club World Cup.
It has been previously reported that West Ham are also interested in the Colombian and could make a move to secure his service as a potential replacement for Kudus.
However, Tottenham have stepped up efforts to seal the deal ahead of West Ham and are preparing a financial proposal that could convince Fluminense to sell their star man. The Brazilian side want around £21m for Arias.
The 27-year-old is keen on moving to Europe and playing in the Premier League. He is currently at the right stage of his career to take the next step. The negotiations between Tottenham and Fluminense haven’t reached the final stage yet, but he is ‘closer than ever’ to moving to the Premier League.
Arias to Tottenham
Arias is a right winger by trait, but can also be deployed on the opposite side. He has made 17 goal contributions in all competitions this year and helped his side reach the semi-final of the Club World Cup before losing to Chelsea.
After Kudus’ arrival, Tottenham are set to have Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, and Dejan Kulusevski as options for the wide areas. However, the South Korean is reportedly going to be sold this summer as his existing deal will expire next summer and he has entered his 30s.
Considering Tottenham have qualified for the Champions League, they will have to play tougher games next season. Therefore, they need proper depth in every department to perform well in all competitions.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually manage to secure Arias’ service by defeating West Ham in this race.