Wolves given less than 48 hour deadline to sign long-standing transfer target with £24m release clause
As Vitor Pereira plans moves for a number of his targets, Wolves will want to avoid putting off their summer transfer activity until the last minute.
Fer Lopez, who cost £19.5 million to join permanently from Celta Vigo, was the Wanderers’ first acquisition in June.
Wolves are swooping for Jhon Arias because Lopez, despite being a promising attacking alternative, won’t fill the vacuum left by Matheus Cunha’s departure.
Fluminense turned down Wolves’ £15 million offer for Arias on Monday, and the Old Gold are getting ready to make another offer. Arias hopes to move to Europe this summer.
It’s interesting to note that Wolves were linked to another Colombian at the end of June, so Pereira isn’t just interested in the 27-year-old winger.
Wolves have less than 48 hours to sign Jhon Lucumi for £24 million
That explains why the Wanderers, who have been pursuing Colombian heavyweight Jhon Lucumi for more than a year, renewed their interest in him in June.
Lucumi, who presently plays for Bologna of Serie A, was a titan in the Champions League the previous season, appearing in seven games.
The 27-year-old is a powerful and capable ball-playing centre-back, so a move to the Premier League would be ideal for him.
The £24 million release clause in his contract expires in less than 48 hours, giving prospective suitors until July 17 to activate that transfer fee, so if the Old Gold are serious about signing him, they must act quickly.
Therefore, the Coppa Italia winners have the right to turn down any and all proposals for their star defender if none are received between now and July 17.
According to Football Italia, Sunderland, a newcomer to the Premier League, is in the lead to sign him.
Why Wolves are unlikely to move for Lucumi
Most recently, Richard Rios’ asking price of £26–£30 million turned Wolves off. Like Lucumi, the Brazilian midfielder isn’t considered a priority because he wouldn’t be assured of starting before Andre and Joao Gomes.
Despite his exceptional defensive skills, there is no assurance that he would start in centre defence instead of Toti. This implies that even though £24 million seems like a wonderful deal on paper, it’s quite improbable that they would make a bid for him.
Instead of investing heavily in a centre-back or central midfielder, Wolves are more interested in acquiring a right wing-back alternative and a replacement for Cunha, particularly Arias.
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