Wolves sign Colombia winger Arias for £15m
Jhon Arias has won 31 caps for Colombia
- Published
Wolves have signed Colombia international Jhon Arias from Fluminense for an initial £15m.
The deal includes a further £4m in add-ons, which includes European qualification.
The 27-year-old winger moves to Molineux on a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.
He will take the number 10 shirt left by Matheus Cunha after his £62.5m move to Manchester United last month.
Arias can play on the left and right, although he is not viewed as a direct replacement for Cunha.
Arias played at the Club World Cup this summer as Fluminense reached the semi-finals, where they were beaten by Chelsea, and will reunite with Wolves midfielder Andre, who he played with at Fluminense, and international team-mate Yerson Mosquera.
He has 31 caps for Colombia and won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense in 2023 and leaves having played 229 times for the Brazilian side.
Arias becomes Vitor Pereira's second signing of the summer after midfielder Fer Lopez joined from Celta Vigo.
'Colombian Pele' swaps the Maracana for Molineux
Noel Sliney, BBC Sport
Arias is older than most South American players who cross the Atlantic Ocean to try their luck in Europe.
Nonetheless, Wolves' new signing has been the creative force for Fluminense for several years and is affectionately known as 'the Colombian Pele' by the club's supporters.
During the Club World Cup, former Brazil playmaker Kaka described the stocky Arias as "an extremely dangerous player who can decide a match at any moment".
Arias showcased his trickery and relentless running in that competition, creating an unrivalled 18 chances in six games.
He won the man-of-the-match award three times and earned a place in the team of the tournament.
Arias switched position to play up front for the latter half of Fluminense's run to the semi-finals but still led the side overall for most touches per 90 minutes (68).
He was involved in 40 open-play moves that led to a shot, double that of any team-mate.
Arias also won possession more than any other Fluminense player.
He scored 47 goals in 229 games and his tally of 55 assists is the second highest of any Fluminense player this century.