Jhon Arias: Chelsea warned ahead of facing ‘Colombian Pele’

Chelsea have been warned of the threat of Fluminense winger Jhon Arias ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.

Arias has emerged as one of the stars of the tournament, impressing during Fluminense’s impressive run to the semi-finals. The Brazilian side have exceeded all expectations to reach the last four, where they will face Chelsea on Tuesday evening for a place in the decider.

Arias’ performances have caught the eye with the 27-year-old in fine form. He scored and assisted during the group stage win over Ulsan HD, before shining in the upset of Inter Milan in the Round of 16. No player in the tournament has created more chances than Arias this summer (17).

Time to stand up & take notice of Jhon Arias 🇨🇴😳👏 pic.twitter.com/mS0qKYrqWD

— LiveScore (@livescore) July 7, 2025

The Colombia international has never played in Europe, but has emerged as a potential option for clubs searching for attacking threat this summer.

However, South American football expert Igor of Netflu has warned it will cost clubs a high price to prise Arias from the Tricolor.

He believes Arias is currently the best talent in South American football and told us that Fluminense will demand a fee equal to their current Club World Cup prize money – equating to around $60m (£44m).

“Arias probably hasn’t moved to Europe yet, because the president of Fluminense is working hard to keep him at the club, knowing that he is currently the best player in South American football,” Igor told The Football Faithful.

“After the Club World Cup, where the entire planet knows Arias’ brilliant football, I am very concerned about the clubs’ interest and interest in the player. I believe that we are going to lose him.

“The value of Jhon Arias, a player affectionately nicknamed “Colombian Pelé”, is immeasurable. If it happens, it has to be for a value as high as Fluminense’s prize money in the World Cup.”

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