Scout Report: Tottenham target aiming to make an impact against Japan

Tottenham fans will be keeping a watchful eye on Wilmar Barrios in Colombia’s upcoming meeting with Japan. The north London side have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, who comes into Russia 2018 on the back of a fine showing in Boca Juniors’ 2017/18 Superliga success. 

Boca are keen to retain Barrios’ services until at least January in order to call upon the midfielder for their upcoming Copa Libertadores campaign, though a rumoured £14.5m release clause suggests that’ll be easier said than done. The Colombian had previously hinted he would stay with Boca, but that stance appears to have changed after he linked up with the Colombia squad and spoke with Davinson Sanchez. 

Spurs’ interest in Barrios, though, comes as little shock, with the Boca star impressing in the Superliga last season. Averages of 3 tackles and 2.8 interceptions per game reinforce statistically calculated WhoScored.com strengths of ‘tackling’ and ‘ball interception’.  

This ball winning quality is part of the reason why Spurs are interested and Boca won the league. It’s also a primary factor for his inclusion in Jose Pekerman’s. Barrios’ tenacity off ball allows the attacking stars to thrive and similar is expected at the World Cup. 

James Rodriguez, Falcao and Juan Cuadrado, among others, are all quality attacking options for Pekerman and allowing them to express their creative freedom is crucial. It’s one of the reasons for Barrios’ inclusion, with Colombia hoping he can transfer his fine club form to the international stage. 

A WhoScored.com rating of 7.36 was commendable to say the least for Barrios and he’ll be looking to put on a show in a navigable group for Colombia. Up against Japan first, Barrios will look to limit their attacks in order to help the South American powerhouse to a key three points on Tuesday.