The January transfer window is set to slam shut on Tuesday night and it remains to be seen whether or not Aston Villa will make any further moves in the market.
Unai Emery has added Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran, from Real Betis and Chicago Fire respectively, to his squad in the window so far and has under 48 hours to make more signings.
The two additions the Spaniard has made so far fall at opposite ends of the spectrum as Moreno, 29, is an experienced campaigner who has become an instant starter, whilst Duran, 19, is inexperienced and one with an eye on the future.
Not every signing has to be one that is made with the intention of the player instantly establishing themselves in the starting XI and another young gem the club could strike gold with is 19-year-old Dario Osorio.
Chilean newspaper Las Últimas Noticias (via Sport Witness) recently reported that the Villans, alongside fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur, are interested in signing the Universidad de Chile winger before the deadline.
Should Aston Villa sign Osorio?
Yes
No
At the age of 19, the dynamo is a talented young player with the scope to improve and develop in the years to come. This means that Villa could sign him with the view to helping him to fulfil his potential so that he can become a key first-team player further down the line.
Universidad’s sporting director Manuel Mayo once hailed the young wizard’s talent, saying: “He is a tall, very fast player. Osorio shoots spectacularly and plays as if he were at home.”
Former Chile star Raul Toro also lauded the forward in the past, saying: “Dario Osorio sooner or later is going to be a craque (top player). (But) he has a long way to go. He scores beautiful goals but does not know how to score ugly goals.
“I find him very similar to Raphinha; Barcelona’s Brazilian. He is the jewel of Chilean soccer. At any moment, he can score a goal or provide an assist. In Chilean football, there is no one like him.”
In 2022, Osorio scored seven goals and created four ‘big chances’, whilst creating 1.1 chances per match, for his teammates in 16 starts in the Chilean top-flight.
The magician, who only turned 19 this month, has also been capped three times by Chile at international level and this shows how highly rated he is within his own country.
Signing a player with no experience in European football at such a young age is a risk but it is one that could lead to a huge reward if the winger is able to adapt to English football and develop into a forward who can regularly create chances and score goals at the top level, something he has threatened to at his current club.
Therefore, Emery could strike gold at Villa by taking a gamble on Osorio and hoping that the youngster can fulfil his potential at Villa Park in the coming years.
