Why Southampton Should Sign Luciano Vietto This Summer
According to reports from Sky Sports, Premier League club Southampton are planning to make an offer for Atletico Madrid striker Luciano Vietto in the summer.
The Saints, having sold Jay Rodriguez to West Bromwich Albion earlier this month, are keen on bringing in a younger replacement for the 27-year old Englishman and see Vietto as a plausible alternative.
The 23-year old Argentine spent last season out on loan with fellow La Liga outfit Sevilla, but did not have the best of the seasons. He finished the campaign with 10 goals and 5 assists from 31 games in all competitions. While they are not exactly poor returns, a lot more was expected of him.
Yet, he could turn out to be an excellent addition to the Saints’ ranks and here are three reasons why.
Exploits With Villarreal
Vietto’s first taste of football in Europe came at Villarreal, when he joined the Yellow Submarine from Argentine side Racing Club in the summer of 2014. The youngster set the Spanish footballing scenes ablaze with some spectacular displays, scoring 20 goals and setting up 8 more in 42 appearances in all competitions.
That was some way to announce himself in Europe and it earned him a big move to Atletico Madrid next summer. However, a poor first season with the Rojiblancos meant things didn’t go as planned (scored three goals in all competitions), but an improved campaign on loan with Sevilla can be considered a good sign. While his career may have failed to take off after that explosive debut campaign, Vietto has displayed that if he gets going, he can be a consistent source of goals.
Comparisons With Sergio Aguero
Vietto, from his days in Argentina, and following his exploits with Villarreal, has drawn strong comparisons with a certain Sergio Aguero.
The 23-year old striker is in many ways, similar to his compatriot. Possessing a similar physical frame as the Manchester City star, Vietto also has the same intelligence and the zippy movement that has made Aguero one of the most feared strikers in Europe. He also possesses the technical ability and strong finishing qualities.
These qualities may have not come to the fore as much as Vietto would have liked in the past year or so, but he has those innate abilities, and given the right guidance, he could very well go on to emulate the Manchester City hitman.
Young And Huge Potential
It is true that Vietto’s career graph hasn’t exactly gone the way he expected to, following his breakthrough at Villarreal. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that the Argentine youth international is just 23 years old and is relatively young.
He has displayed his amazing potential and has shown that he can make the grade in Europe. Southampton have shown in the past that they have the right setup in place to get the best out of young players. If they manage to get Vietto firing on all cylinders again, they will have one of the most exciting forwards from South America in recent years at their disposal.