Matias Vargas has expressed his interest in joining Arsenal when the time comes to leave Velez Sarsfield, claims the Mirror. The 21-year-old has made a name for himself in the Argentine Primera Division with his impressive performances in the recent past.
A youth product of Velez Sarsfield, Vargas made his senior debut in 2016 but established himself as a regular starter only in the last campaign where he chipped in with 5 goals and 10 assists. He has carried on from where he left in the previous season and has already scored a couple of goals in the current campaign.
Although Arsenal haven’t expressed any official interest in signing the player, his eye-catching performances make him seem like a tantalizing prospect indeed.
As a matter of fact, the Gunners should take this as a serious opportunity to scout Vargas as they need a versatile left-winger who can deliver the goods on a consistent basis.
Unai Emery’s men are enjoying a purple patch at the moment as the Gunners registered their sixth consecutive win in the Premier League and ninth across all competitions with an emphatic 5-1 win over Fulham last weekend.
Arsenal have the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Iwobi to fill the role of a left-winger. However, a player like Aubameyang is likely to do a better job in front of the goal. Emery should be looking to make use of his pedigree as a striker and deploy him as the No.9. However, it’s easier said than done because Alexandre Lacazette has also been in a good scoring form of late.
To be honest, Matias Vargas, in many ways, does resemble Eden Hazard. Starting from his looks to his playing style, there seems to be a lot of resemblances between him and the Belgian maestro. In fact, he had an impressive record last season, quite comparable to Hazard.
The 21-year-old has cut into Argentina’s national team and made his debut last month in his nation’s 3-0 victory over Guatemala.
A strong, quick and agile player characterized by exceptional technical abilities and incredible vision, Vargas is renowned for his ability to inject life into the game with his pace, flair and athleticism.
Primarily a left-winger by trade, Vargas’s influence in the attacking third is never confined to the left flank and he often plays as a free-roaming attacking midfielder. The 21-year-old has the confidence to initiate attacks with his individual brilliance.
He has established himself as his team’s talisman in the final third and is always amongst the scheme of things. A tactically versatile attacking midfielder, he can slot into any role in the final third. At times, he has also been deployed as a supporting striker.
Vargas’s low centre of gravity combined with his superior technical game allows him to receive the ball with elegance and keep close control in tight areas, just like Hazard. His presence of mind and vision allows him to pick out the runs of his teammates with incisive passes, often with elegant chips, one-twos and back-heels.
With the impending exit of Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck from the Emirates (h/t The Week), Arsenal must bolster their attacking options to maintain adequate depth in their squad. Furthermore, they should be tempted to bring in reinforcements as Mesut Ozil has found it difficult to cope with Emery’s style of play.
Going by the kind of brilliance that Vargas has shown in recent times, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Arsenal to sign him. At the age of 21, he is still in the developmental phase of his career and is unlikely to cost a fortune.