Tottenham are reportedly believed to be ‘best positioned’ to land a ‘revelation’ forward from the Club World Cup after weeks of ‘gathering positive reports’ before an offer.
This summer’s Club World Cup has unearthed some gems on the big stage. One of the shocks of the tournament has been the performance of Fluminense, who reached the semi-finals.
They beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the round of 16 and then overcame Al-Hilal 2-1 in the following game, before Chelsea stopped their progress in the semis.
One of their standout players, particularly in the early rounds, was Jhon Arias, who bagged a goal and an assist in Fluminense’s second game, and played the full 90 minutes in every single round, creating more chances than any other player in the tournament while doing so.
According to Fichajes, he has ‘attracted the interest’ of several Premier League clubs as a result of his performances in the Club World Cup.
The report names Arias as one of the tournament’s biggest ‘revelations’ and states Tottenham appear ‘best positioned’ to sign him.
The club’s directors have reportedly been ‘gathering positive reports’ about the Colombian ‘for weeks’ and everything indicates they are ‘preparing a financial proposal that could convince Fluminense and Arias himself’.
People close to Arias have reportedly ‘made no secret of their interest’ in making the leap to Europe. Talks between the clubs aren’t at the final stages, though a move ‘seems on track’ per the report.
It’s believed Fluminense will find it hard to keep hold of Arias, especially given interest from a top club like Tottenham.
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It’s also said Arias will command a fee of approximately €25million (£21.5m), though there is ‘still room for negotiation’.
In any case, the report suggests the Colombian winger is ‘closer than ever’ to landing at a high-profile league.
But there would surely be some reservations about signing a 27-year-old who has never played in Europe, and has never scored more than seven league goals in a season.
Generally, South American stars come to Europe when they are on the up, where they can be coached into a new style before fully embedding into one in their homeland.
Arias has played all of his football in South America, and could find it tough to adapt. That said, he had a good game against Inter Milan, so though he has not played for a European side, he’s found success against a very good one.