Boca Juniors have tabled a new contract offer to star midfielder Wilmar Barrios in a last ditch attempt to try and ward off Tottenham’s advances for their man, according to the Independent.
The newspaper claim that Spurs have ramped up their attempts to try and prise the 10-cap Colombian enforcer from the Argentinian side, with a £14.5million release clause included in the 24-year-old’s contract leaving Boca powerless to prevent his exit.
It is stated that in a bid to try and hold on to Barrios until at least the January transfer window, his club have slapped down a deal with much-improved terms to rid themselves of the eight-figure clause in what is a fresh twist in the Lilywhites’ pursuit.
Opinion
Boca Juniors were never going to want to let their star man leave for a nominal fee, but the inclusion of a release clause in the terms of his contract gave them no hope in trying to keep anyone who came sniffing around to prise him away, provided they showed the colour of their money. Spurs definitely have that sort of cash to splash this summer and would have no problems in triggering his exit, which is why there will be such desperation in Argentina to get him to put pen to paper on a new contract. It depends on how desperately Tottenham want the 24-year-old and whether they would be willing to wait until January, when there will no doubt be a much bigger price slapped on his head, to seal a deal. It seems Mauricio Pochettino had targeted this move because of how friendly it would be on his transfer budget this summer, and without that release clause, which takes away the need for negotiations with the club, he may well look elsewhere.