Wolves sign Jhon Arias from Fluminense for initial £15m

Noel Sliney, BBC Sport

Arias is older than most South American players who cross the Atlantic Ocean to try their luck in Europe.

Nonetheless, Wolves’ new signing has been the creative force for Fluminense for several years and is affectionately known as ‘the Colombian Pele’ by the club’s supporters.

During the Club World Cup, former Brazil playmaker Kaka described the stocky Arias as “an extremely dangerous player who can decide a match at any moment”.

Arias showcased his trickery and relentless running in that competition, creating an unrivalled 18 chances in six games.

He won the man-of-the-match award three times and earned a place in the team of the tournament.

Arias switched position to play up front for the latter half of Fluminense’s run to the semi-finals but still led the side overall for most touches per 90 minutes (68).

He was involved in 40 open-play moves that led to a shot, double that of any team-mate.

Arias also won possession more than any other Fluminense player.

He scored 47 goals in 229 games and his tally of 55 assists is the second highest of any Fluminense player this century.