Sunderland are keen to strike a deal to bring Universidad Catolica forward Alexander Aravena to the Championship, according to reports.
Who is Alexander Aravena?
Aravena is naturally a left-sided winger who has plied his trade with Cristian Paulucci’s side ever since his childhood days, having graduated from the club’s academy to make a total of 27 appearances so far, and despite having briefly left to join Nublense, he’s now returned for a second spell.
However, the 20-year-old’s contract is set to run out at the end of the calendar year meaning that the ongoing window will be the Primera Division outfit’s final chance to cash in should they not want to risk losing their prized asset for free upon the expiration of his deal.
The Black Cats and Tony Mowbray are likely to be searching the market for attacking reinforcements with Amad Diallo having returned to Manchester United following his successful loan, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ross Stewart, and if the following update is to be believed, the Chile international has been flagged as an ideal candidate.
Are Sunderland signing Alexander Aravena?
According to Spanish outlet Minutod, Sunderland are "extremely interested" in signing Aravena this summer. The Stadium of Light side "would have arrived with a very good proposal" that would meet his club's expectations, but confirmation that an official bid has been submitted is yet to have been given.
Universidad Catolica chiefs are believed to have set a "minimum" price tag of €8m (£6m) for their attacker as a result of the northeast outfit "closely" keeping tabs on him, but they aren't the only admirers as he is also gaining "interest" from several unnamed clubs across Europe.
How many goals has Alexander Aravena scored?
In the Primera Division this season, Aravena has racked up an impressive 12 goal contributions (nine goals and three assists) in 19 appearances so he’s extremely prolific, and should he put pen to paper on a move to Sunderland, he would be an “excellent” addition for Mowbray according to journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting.
The Huechuraba native has also so far recorded a total of 44 shots over the course of the campaign which is the second-highest number throughout his squad, via FBRef, highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net, or at the very least try his best to test the opposition’s goalkeeper.
Furthermore, the youngster is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even four roles in the midfield, so he would be a great option for the boss to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.
The Black Cats have already completed the signing of centre-forward Eliezer Mayenda from FC Sochaux-Montbeliard but that clearly hasn't stopped the hierarchy from assessing what other targets are out there to bolster their ranks in the final third, and if an offer gets tabled in the final stages of the window, Aravena could be following in the former's footsteps by making the move to the Championship.