According to The Independent Boca Juniors have pleaded with midfielder Wilmar Barrios to postpone a move to Tottenham until the January transfer window after Spurs stepped up their interest in the Colombian international.
Boca have offered the midfielder a new contract with a significant pay rise in a bid to keep hold of him for their upcoming Copa Libertadores campaign after they qualified for the knockout phase of South America’s version of the Champions League which resumes in August and they want to keep together their squad, however with Barrios they know they have little control due to the player’s release clause of just under £14.5m.
The article goes on to say that Barrios had told Boca before leaving for the World Cup that he didn’t want to leave the club, however since joining up with Colombia on international duty the message has been somewhat more muddled.
It goes on to say that on Friday officials from Boca Juniors were still confident that they could convince Barrios to snub the Premier League but a source close to the player on Saturday was somewhat more evasive when asked direct questions about the player’s future.
It adds that it would be very difficult for the 24-year-old to turn down a life-changing financial offer, the source said and Spurs could quite easily put that on the table and midfield is a priority for them this summer.
Late last week reports in Colombia have said a deal with Tottenham is ready for announcement but Boca have confirmed that no release clause has been met yet.
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