Cristiano Ronaldo tried to stop Jhon Arias' transfer to Wolves as phone call revealed

Jhon Arias is already making himself a fan favourite at Wolves before being unveiled as their newest signing.

Arias outlined his ‘dream’ of playing in Europe early on after links to Wolves emerged, something he’s stood by throughout negotiations.

After Fluminense initially rejected Wolves’ £15m bid for Arias, doubts were raised over their willingness to sell the 27-year-old.

However, even a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia couldn’t turn the winger’s head, as Arias rejected 500 times his wage from Al-Nassr.

The Colombian always made it clear that Wolves were the club he wanted to join, and not even Cristiano Ronaldo could sway his decision.

Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images

Jhon Arias rejected Al-Nassr move after phone call with Cristiano Ronaldo

Jhon Arias was pictured in the Galeão Airport on Monday ahead of his £19 million transfer to Molineux, with Wolves expected to announce him this week.

Seen as a direct replacement for Matheus Cunha, the diminutive winger arrives with high expectations, especially after his impressive Club World Cup campaign.

But even before he plays his first minutes for the club, Wolves fans are beginning to adore Arias for how he’s handled himself throughout the process.

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Former Colombian international Faustino Asprilla has even revealed that not even a phone call from Ronaldo could tempt him to snub Wolves and join the project at Al Nassr.

#ESPNEquipoFColombia

"Cristiano Ronaldo llamó a Jhon Arias para que se fuera a Arabia antes de firmar con el Wolverhampton"@TinoasprillaH Y LA PRIMICIA sobre la elección de Jhon Arias: desechó una millonaria suma.

▶️ No te pierdas EQUIPO F por #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/I9Wh8nQAkS — ESPN Colombia (@ESPNColombia) July 22, 2025

“Cristiano Ronaldo called Jhon Arias to go to Saudi Arabia before signing with Wolverhampton,” Asprilla told ESPN Colombia.

Ronaldo is regarded as arguably the greatest footballer of all-time, and surely there would have been a temptation for Arias to play alongside him before he retires.

However, the fact that he rejected eye-watering money in Saudi Arabia and the opportunity to play with the Portuguese legend speaks volumes about his desire to reach new levels in the Premier League.

Arias has already explained why he chose Wolves

A huge factor behind his decision to choose Wolves over anyone else was the familiarity of some teammates, including midfield duo Andre and Joao Gomes.

Arias also believes in the project at Wolves and thinks Vitor Pereira has done a ‘sensational’ job during his seven months at the club.

“Of course you can’t deny that there are great clubs in England, with a lot of power. But I also believe a lot in Wolverhampton,” Arias said.

“It’s a project that was presented to me, with great players. I don’t even need to talk about André, who you know here from Brazil, or João Gomes, who played for Flamengo, I faced him a lot, I know what a great player he is.

“Only there you can see that there are many South Americans known from Brazilian football.

“So I believe in the cast they have, in the players they have, and in the coach, who is a guy with a sensational job.

“So I’m calm about what I’m going to face, knowing what they expect from me. I’ll arrive to give 100%, add to everything the club already has.”

The early signs are promising with Arias, so hopefully, he can transfer his outrageous quality across to the Premier League.

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