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Club World Cup trophy | Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Wolverhampton Wanderers have bagged one of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup.
Colombian striker Jhon Arias had a decent tournament with Brazilian club Fluminese, making it to the semi-finals when they lost to eventual winners Chelsea.
Wolves are said to have been watching him for a while, but his performances during the summer showcase tournament would have acted as even more of a spur to act - and now they have a £17.3m (€20m) deal over the line.
Arias, 27, was the highest-paid player in Fluminese’s squad, but wanted to play in Europe remains intact. Wolves were not the only side interested - he was also on the radar of other European clubs and some in Saudi Arabia.
Wolves have money in the bank after the transfer of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United for £62.5m and Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester City. So far they have bought striker Jørgen Strand Larsen and winger Fer López from Celta Vigo.
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Arias broke down in tears after the Chelsea defeat and apologised for letting down fans - despite the fact Fluminese overachieved in reaching the semi-finals.
Last year, according to RTI Esporte, West Ham tabled an offer of €13m (£11m) for Arias and Fluminense accepted, with negotiations reaching “an advanced stage”. But, if true, nothing came of that.
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