Aston Villa well placed to pull off Ruben Vargas coup as 2.84 and 55.6% stats speak volumes
Aston Villa must accelerate a move for Switzerland star Ruben Vargas after he proved his quality at the World Cup.
Unai Emery is shaping his squad for a return to the Champions League after Villa's Europa League triumph in May.
Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan from Chelsea to bolster their attacking ranks, but more additions are needed to make up for the loss of Morgan Rogers.
Sevilla and Switzerland forward Vargas has emerged onto Villa's radar ahead of the final few weeks of the transfer window.
Sevilla are believed to be willing to part ways with him for £17million, and his World Cup stats show that Villa can secure a real bargain if they accelerate a move as soon as possible.
Ruben Vargas was one of the top-performing wingers at the World Cup
Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Villa are "hopeful" of agreeing a deal for Vargas, despite there being no clear front-runners for his signature as it stands.
They believe that being able to offer Champions League football stands them in good stead to complete a move, with the 28-year-old yet to play in the competition in his career so far.
He has long been a regular in the Bundesliga and La Liga with Augsburg and Sevilla, but his career reached new heights over the summer at the World Cup.
Vargas was key to Switzerland's run to the quarter-finals as he registered two goals and an assist in 285 minutes played.
He created the joint-most chances (5) and completed the joint-most dribbles (2) in their opening game against Qatar, while also winning seven ground duels and four fouls.
Several more strong performances followed, as Vargas also completed the most dribbles (4) in their knockout win over Algeria.
He ended the tournament ranking highly among attacking midfielders and wingers for chances created (2.84), duels won (55.6%), successful dribbles (1.89) per 90 minutes, as well as expected assists (0.34).
The 28-year-old shone on the world stage when it mattered most, and so would surely be a smart signing for the Villans this summer.
What has Vargas said about playing in the Champions League?
Vargas set out some aims for the rest of his career in an interview with Diario AS alongside his brother in June, which point towards a move to Villa appealing to him this summer.
He said: "I want to play in the Champions League one day," while his brother, Manuel, added: "He deserves it, and I hope he gets to experience it. If the Vargas family moves, it won’t be about La Liga, the club or the country. It will be about the dream of playing in the Champions League.”
Sevilla are open to letting him leave for the right price, with Villa's foray into the UCL surely making them his most likely next club if he wants a move to England.