Player Focus: Top 5 January signings in La Liga

Eduardo Vargas (Napoli to Valencia on loan)

Valencia have many problems as a club, and even with the victory over Barcelona this past weekend there is still much building and soul searching to be done. They need goals first and foremost, and if they can get them then they’ll make an assault on the European places that the club so desperately needs in its precarious financial position. The combative, energetic Eduardo Vargas looks a perfect fit for Juan Antonio Pizzi’s system, requiring that the individual sacrifices himself for the team and plays with the right mindset. Valencia’s 31 goals is a poor haul when put up against the teams they should be challenging, and Vargas may well contribute directly to that with his movement and influence in the final third. On the counter, Valencia need more punch and variation too, with just 8% of their goals arriving via this means. 6 goals in 14 with Gremio is a decent haul and is more than Helder Postiga and Dorlan Pabón managed, while Vargas’ pace and intelligent movement have also caught the eye of Pizzi. His 2.3 shots per game while with Gremio meanwhile is better than all but one Valencia player in Jonas, while his 1.9 dribbles per game is bettered only by Éver Banega, who is no longer with the club.