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Tottenham Hotspur reportedly failed with a late attempt to sign Brazilian centre-back Arthur Dias during the summer transfer window.

The 19-year-old defender has enjoyed an impressive 12 months with Athletico Paranaense and is increasingly regarded as one of Brazil’s next major defensive talents with the potential to make the move to European football.

Earlier this week, reports emerged claiming that Tottenham are ‘among the most proactive suitors’ for Dias ahead of the January transfer window. Spurs are believed to have already held talks with the teenager and his representatives during the summer.

Tottenham target Arthur Dias catches Barcelona’s attention

According to a fresh report from Globo Esporte, relayed by Sport Witness, Barcelona’s head of scouting, Joao Amaral, recently travelled to Brazil to watch Dias in action against Bahia.

Amaral, reportedly a close ally and right-hand man of Barcelona sporting director Deco, was accompanied at the match by agent Lucio Araujo, who is also understood to have close links with the Barca director.

Athletico Paranaense secured a 2-1 victory over Bahia, with Dias among the standout performers. Despite primarily operating as a centre-back, the teenager was deployed at right-back for the match and produced an impressive defensive display, recording seven defensive contributions.

Dias was also highly efficient in possession, completing 56 of his 60 attempted passes, including 21 in the opposition half.

His performance will have certainly caught the attention of the Barcelona representatives in attendance and could potentially add another major contender to Tottenham’s pursuit of the highly rated defender.

Three Premier League clubs could challenge Tottenham

Barcelona may now be showing interest in Dias, but Tottenham are already facing competition from several other clubs.

According to a previous report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Brentford are all capable of competing with Spurs for the Brazil U20 international.

The report also stated that several European clubs are monitoring the youngster, including RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Como, Atletico Madrid and Benfica.

With January approaching, Tottenham could therefore face a significant battle to secure the signature of one of Brazil’s promising young defenders.