A South American star, who has been turning heads at the Club World Cup, has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham over recent weeks, but it has now emerged that the Lilywhites will face a lot of competition for the player’s signature.
It has been widely reported that Thomas Frank is prioritising signing a defensive midfielder this summer, which does not come as a surprise, considering that Yves Bissouma is being tipped to leave Tottenham.
According to various sources, one Colombian star, who is winning many admirers at the Club World Cup, is on Spurs’ wishlist.
Regular readers of Spurs Web will be aware that Tottenham have been credited with a serious interest in Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios, who has been one of the best number sixes in the tournament ongoing in the United States.
In fact, journalist Ben Jacobs even stated last week that Spurs are the ones to watch in the race for Rios, but it turns out that the North Londoners will not find it straightforward to land the 25-year-old.
Tottenham and Inter Milan both linked with Richard Rios
Fabrizio Romano has now taken to social media to reveal that several European clubs have now enquired about the Palmeiras star’s availability. Spurs are not mentioned, but could feasibly be one such club.
This includes Inter Milan, who are keen on adding a new midfielder to the squad, with the Colombian international part of the Nerazzurr’s wishlist.
It was previously reported that Man United and Porto may challenge Spurs in the race for Rios’ signature while some sources have claimed that Nottingham Forest also want the Palmeiras man.
It is thus clear that Tottenham Hotspur will not have a free run at Rios if they decide to push ahead with a move for him.
Why Rios’ price could go up this weekend
Last week, AS claimed that Palmeiras will demand €25m (£21.3m) for Rios this summer, but the interest in the player’s signature appears to have grown since then.
Palemerias will take on Chelsea in the quarterfinal clash on Saturday and there is no doubt that many clubs, possibly including Spurs, will be keeping a close eye on the midfielder.
If the 25-year-old shines against Premier League opposition, one can expect the interest in him to grow and his asking price to go up.
Have something to tell us about this article?
