Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has admitted second thoughts about recruiting from South America.
The Potters spent an initial £2.65m, rising to a possible £4.85m, on Uruguay international Diego Arismendi, who is now 23. He has yet to play a Premier League game since signing in August 2009 and is on loan at Barnsley.
The chairman told The Sentinel: "You dip your toe in the water. My understanding is that he is very up and down.
"I suppose the jury is out to some extent over how he develops and whether he will be good enough to play in the Premier League."
