Tottenham Hotspur are close to securing a second attacking game-changer in the summer transfer window, as it's only a matter of time before Nottingham Forest's empty legal threats and dispute over a 60 million pound Morgan Gibbs-White transfer blow over. Already, Tottenham have landed uber-talented right winger Mohammed Kudus to transform an attack that already includes promising talents like Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson.
But if Tottenham want to truly compete at the Champions League level and reach Europe's premier footballing competition season after season in an increasingly competitive and unpredictable top-five race, then they are going to need to fortify their squad beyond attacking difference-makers.
Coming into the summer transfer window, Spurs had a dire need for midfield anchors and defensive maestros to shore up the system, as Thomas Frank can't overhaul a sieve-like midfield on tactics alone.
Palmeiras breakout star Richard Rios, who has been one of the most impressive players in world football in two major summer tournaments in back-to-back years, is one of the most affordable hidden gem transfer targets. But lately, he's not so hidden, thanks to some dominant performances at the Club World Cup for the Brazilian powerhouse.
Roma are in the driver's seat over Tottenham
Now, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Serie A giants AS Roma are "getting closer" to matching Palmeiras's valuation of 30 million euros for Rios. Roma are reportedly prepared to improve their bids to meet Palmeiras's asking price, though they are using add-ons to get close to 30 million euros when Palmeiras want a fixed fee.
Tottenham have been linked to Rios but are admittedly nowhere to be found in Fab's latest report on the Colombian star, in part because they haven't been seriously pursuing the Palmeiras man with legitiamte transfer offers.
Palmeiras have reportedly submitted a giant bid to Tottenham for Brazil national team forward Richarlison, and that 55 million pound offer is something Spurs can use to parlay into a move for Rios, who has the defensive traits necessary to be, at least, a specialist in a rotation that includes Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray at the base.
In the prime of his career at 25, Rios averaged 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game with 3.2 fouls drawn per game and a key pass per match on the ball as one of the best 6's in the Club World Cup, dazzling and even outshining Chelsea-bound winger Estevao Willian as the main man for an impressive Palmeiras side.
This display was a year after Rios put up 2.5 combined tackles and interceptions per game with well over 4 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match for Colombia at Copa America. He's a Tottenham-caliber signing at a fee half of what Spurs would pay for a similar player in the Premier League, but unless they act now, he seems headed to Italy.