Napoli Given Permission to Enter Into Talks With PSV & Colombia Defender Santiago Arias

Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven has granted permission for right back Santiago Arias to enter talks with Napoli.

According to Voetbal International, the Dutch club are still waiting for Napoli to increase their bid for the 26-year-old, even though they have given them permission to enter into talks with the defender.

PSV Eindhoven are said to want a fee between €10m and €15m for Arias and Napoli's previous bid is said to have fallen below that valuation.

Arias, who still has 12 months left on his PSV contract, is currently in negotiations with Napoli over personal terms. However, because a fee has not been agreed between the two clubs, Napoli will have to report back to PSV when personal terms are provisionally agreed - so that the two clubs can thrash out a deal.

Last week, Voetbal International reported that several clubs had also expressed their interest in the PSV defender, with 'a few' of them reporting directly to PSV. Arias was recently forced to deny rumours that had undertaken a medical with Juventus.

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The Dutch side have recently signed a new right back in Denzel Dumfries, and they also have two other players - Derrick Luckassen and Pablo Rosario - who are capable of playing in the position. This surely paves the way for Arias to leave the club, with Napoli seemingly jumping to the head of the queue.

Arias joined PSV in the summer of 2013 and has been part of an Eredivisie team on three occasions, lifting the trophy in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

He is also a regular for Colombia, having made 45 caps since his international debut in 2013. He was part of the squad that were knocked out at the last 16 stage by England at this summer's World Cup in Russia.