Chelsea have been warned against signing Mexico winger Alexis Vega after the 25-year-old impressed in Qatar. His side weren't able to get through the group stage after a dramatic final matchday involving eventual winners Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Poland.
Whilst Mexico were beating Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi and Co were putting Poland to the sword but it wasn't enough to get Vega through to the knockout stage with goal difference separating the two sides. During an enthralling final half there was even a chance that yellow cards and disciplinary might be the only thing separating the two sides.
It wasn't to be for the North Americans though and Vega was sent back to his home country for club duty with Guadalajara. His work in the shop window was done during the month of internationals though, with Chelsea reportedly liking what they saw.
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Vega is a relative unknown in Europe having played in Mexico ever since he was 17. However, with a balanced split of goals and assists across his time in Liga MX, Vega may be about to take the next step. He has three goals and four assists this season in 17 matches and is awaiting the chance to move in January.
He's been warned of moving too early though, with former Mexico international Luis Garcia (not the ghost goal Garcia that Chelsea fans remember for all the wrong reasons) saying that he isn't ready for a transfer yet. Speaking to AS, Garcia said: "Alexis Vega doesn’t have the skill set yet to play at Chelsea in the Premier League.
“We saw what happened against Argentina at the World Cup, he missed a clear opportunity to score. You see many players miss opportunities like that and like Luis Enrique said, this is a sport about making mistakes, but you need to learn from them. Vega missed a clear opportunity to score in the first half and then he disappeared from the game."
Vega has underperformed his expected goals and expected assists this season and didn't manage to register a goal contribution in Qatar either, and Garcia added: “So to play at Chelsea, you need another type of skill set."
The Blues have been attempting to anchor down roots in South American football as part of a wider plan by Todd Boehly to implement a multi-club model at Stamford Bridge. The aim is to pick up the best talent before other clubs and to set up a feeder network.
This would help them in their bid to replace underperforming attackers Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech, both of whom scored and made a name for themselves at the World Cup too. Vega has been seen as a potential replacement for these potential departures.
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