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Premier League giants Manchester United are increasingly likely to sign former Atletico Madrid right-back Santiago Arias, Colombian outlet Antena 2 has claimed. Arias, 30, has been without a club since terminating his contract with Los Rojiblancos.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly not content with only having Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot in his ranks. He wishes to bolster his right flank with an additional player. The Dutch manager is seemingly well aware of Arias’ qualities, as he had witnessed him in action during his PSV Eindhoven days.
It is believed that the memory of Arias’ performances for PSV weighs heavily on Ten Hag’s mind. The Colombian right-back is also fluent in English, which is reportedly a decisive factor.
The former Granada player reportedly wishes to finalize his future as soon as possible. According to the aforementioned source, the chances of him finding himself at Manchester United are increasing with each passing day.
Manchester United target Santiago Arias is a three-time Eredivisie Champion
Before his ill-fated switch to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2018, Arias was one of the finest players in the Eredivisie. In the 2017-18 season, his team won the Eredivisie title at the expense of Ten Hag's Ajax, and the Colombian was one of the team’s standout performers.
In the Eredivisie, Arias featured in 30 matches in the 2017-18 season, recording three goals and six assists. Courtesy of his excellent displays that season, he was chosen as the division's best player and named in the 'Eredivisie Star XI.'
His two previous Eredivisie titles came in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons respectively. In total, he has featured in 172 games for the Dutch outfit in all competitions, recording 10 goals and 21 assists. In addition to the three league championships, he also won two Dutch Super Cups with PSV.
Arias’ stellar displays for PSV paved the way for his €11 million switch to Atletico Madrid in July 2018. Marred by injuries and lack of form, Arias only featured in 51 games for the Spanish side over the next two seasons, scoring once and claiming three assists. He spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons at Bayer Leverkusen and Granada, respectively, on loan from Atletico.
