Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are tracking Santiago Arias but he is open to a move to Swansea City.
Most transfer pursuits begin with a cheeky bid to test the water. However, it’s fair to say PSV Eindhoven probably won’t be tempted by Swansea City’s opening offer for right-back Santiago Arias.
The Mail report that The Swans have tabled just £2 million for the in-demand Colombian international. Given that Arias has won 32 caps for his country, appeared at a World Cup and has two Eredivisie winners medals on his mantelpiece, it appears likely that the South Wales side will need to up their bid quite considerably.
Especially with The Sun reporting that PSV value Arias at around £12 million – a full £10 million more than the initial bid allegedly offered by Swansea.
Nonetheless, you can expect Swansea to return with another offer if PSV do indeed rebuff their initial advances. The report added that Arias was open to a move to the Liberty Stadium despite interest from bigger Premier League clubs in the shape of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
The fact that Arias has reportedly caught the eye of Antonio Conte (below) and Mauricio Pochettino speaks volumes about his quality in attack, with both managers favouring a wing-back system.
Swansea, in contrast, has utilised a back four under Paul Clement though Arias would likely provide an upgrade on Kyle Naughton and 34-year-old veteran Angel Rangel.
Arias has been a regular on the right of PSV’s defence since moving from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 and helped Philip Cocu’s side lift the Eredivisie title in both 2015 and 2016.
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