Wolves have secured the signing of Colombian international Jhon Arias from Fluminense for an initial fee of £15 million.
The agreement includes an additional £4 million in performance-related bonuses, contingent on European qualification.
The 27-year-old winger has signed a four-year contract with the option for an extra year at Molineux.
He will wear the number 10 jersey, previously held by Matheus Cunha, who transferred to Manchester United for £62.5 million last month.
Arias is capable of playing on both the left and right flanks, although he is not seen as a direct successor to Cunha.
This summer, Arias participated in the Club World Cup, where Fluminense reached the semi-finals before losing to Chelsea. He will reunite with Wolves midfielder Andre, a former teammate at Fluminense, as well as international colleague Yerson Mosquera.
Arias has earned 31 caps for Colombia and was part of the Fluminense team that won the Copa Libertadores in 2023, leaving the Brazilian club after making 229 appearances.
He is the second signing of the summer for manager Vitor Pereira, following the arrival of midfielder Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo.
‘Colombian Pele’ Trades Maracana for Molineux Noel Sliney, BBC Sport
Arias is older than many South American players who venture to Europe in search of opportunities.
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However, he has been a key creative player for Fluminense for several years and is affectionately nicknamed ‘the Colombian Pele’ by the club’s fans.
During the Club World Cup, former Brazil star Kaka praised Arias as “an extremely dangerous player who can change the outcome of a match at any moment.”
Arias demonstrated his skill and tireless running during the tournament, creating an impressive 18 chances in six matches.
He was named man of the match three times and earned a spot on the tournament’s best XI.
In the latter part of Fluminense’s semi-final run, Arias shifted to a forward position but still led the team in touches per 90 minutes with an average of 68.
He was involved in 40 open-play sequences that resulted in a shot, which was double that of any teammate.
Additionally, he won possession more frequently than any other Fluminense player.
Arias scored 47 goals in 229 appearances and his 55 assists rank as the second highest for any Fluminense player this century.
