Valencia CF have completed the loan signing of Chile international forward Eduardo Vargas from S.S.C. Napoli until the end of the season.
Vargas, 24, joined Napoli — priced at 7/5 to earn a top-2 finish in Serie A — from Club Universidad de Chile for £11.5 million in December 2011 but has failed to live up to the high expectations at the Stadio San Paolo.
The 2011 South American Footballer of the Year runner-up, who has not featured in the first-team for Napoli in 2013/14, tallied nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions while on loan at Brasileirão side Grêmio last year.
“Valencia CF is a beautiful club and institution,” Vargas told the club’s official website, Valenciacf.com. “I would like to stay here for a long time and I hope to give my all on the pitch to help this great team move forward.
“I can see that the squad are united and will give me all of their support. I trained with them today and was very happy with how it went.
“I feel good right now, and have come here after a few days training with the national team. My teammates from Chile have told me that my football will be successful in Spain.”
Vargas, who has totaled just three goals — all in the UEFA Europa League — in 28 competitive appearances for the Partenopei, has most likely been signed as a short-term replacement for Lazio-bound Hélder Postiga.
Postiga, formerly of Porto and Tottenham Hotspur, is on the verge of securing a permanent move to the Stadio Olimpico after joining Valencia in a deal worth £2.6 million in the summer.
Since arriving at the Mestalla as a replacement for Roberto Soldado (now at Tottenham), the Portugal international has scored three goals in 15 La Liga games.
“The deal for Helder Postiga is going to be closed, he is a player we have been following for one week,” said Lazio boss Edy Reja.
“The name of Anelka was a red herring. I wanted a striker of international profile and Postiga is a complete player – I am very satisfied if he arrives. ”
Hernanes not for sale
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has reiterated that Brazil international midfielder Hernanes is not for sale amid reports linking the player with a January move to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Lotito has made it clear the club will only consider an ‘indecent’ offer for the highly-rated 28-year-old maestro.
“Hernanes is not for sale,” Lotito told Rai Sport, as per Sky Sports. “I have always said that if we received an indecent offer then we would evaluate it.
“So far, we have not received any offers.”
Hernanes, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2015, has netted three goals in 17 league appearances for the Biancazzurri this season.
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