Colombia Midfielder Wilmar Barrios Staying at Boca Juniors Until January Despite Tottenham Interest

Colombia midfielder Wilmar Barrios will be unable to leave Boca Juniors until next January, amid links to a host of Premier League clubs including Tottenham.

Due to the structure of the South American football calendar, Boca Juniors are unwilling to sell Barrios at this time, as reported by ​ESPN, as it would weaken them during the Copa Libertadores knockout stages, the South American equivalent of the Champions League.

Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's premier club sides, kick off the knockout stages in August, against Paraguayan side Libertad. The competition does not finish until November, and only then will Boca consider any offers for Barrios.

Barrios appears calm and understanding on the transfer talk, speaking to ​Clarin, he said: ''It is possible that an offer will come in and our president, Daniel Angelici, has been clear; if something comes in, he will study it with the idea that I would leave after Libertadores.

''Right now I am focused on Boca, in working and helping the team for what is coming up. After that, we will see what happens. I will have to meet with my agent and with the President.''

Boca Juniors won the Argentine Primera Division last season, with Barrios key to that success, and they will be hoping to ward off interest from the likes of Tottenham, ​Everton and ​Chelsea, as Boca search for their first Copa Libertadores triumph since 2007.