The movement is very similar to what Palmeiras did when striker Bruno Henrique was negotiating his renewal with Flamengo in 2023. Alviverde already knew that it would be very difficult to sign the player, but made an offer anyway to inflate the value of the new contract for their rival.
So far, Palmeiras has not been informed by Wolves that Fluminense will not be able to exercise priority purchase in the event of a return to Brazil. However, there is great optimism in the Palmeiras leadership for a positive outcome soon.
Palmeiras only formalized the proposal to Wolves because they understood that Arias had already indicated positively for a return to Brazil. The negotiation values are high, but it was the Palmeiras management’s strategy to beat Flu’s competition.
Furthermore, one strategy adopted by Palmeiras was to wait for the main European transfer windows to close to ensure that the player did not have many options to change clubs. The window in Brazil is open until March 3rd.
For Fluminense, Arias played 230 games, 47 goals and provided 55 assists. The athlete won the Copa Libertadores in 2023, the Recopa Sul-Americana in 2024, and two titles in Carioca and the Taça Guanabara in 2022 and 2023.
He fits the player profile that Palmeiras is looking for in 2026 and has been the club’s dream since the middle of last year.when he still defended Fluminense.
