New Albion recruit Valentin Barco has similar attacking qualities to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and is one of the next big talents in Argentinian football.
That is according to South American football expert and founder of The Copa Club, Nathan Joyes, who has closely followed the 19-year-old's progress at Argentinian giants Boca Juniors.
Despite being so young, the teenager played a key role in his side reaching the 2023 Copa Libertadores final, where they ultimately lost to Fluminense in a dramatic contest that went to extra time.
However, Joyes says the Argentinian under-23 international, who burst onto the scene at a time when the Buenos Aires outfit were struggling financially, has shown he can thrive on the big stage and that should stand him in good stead for the Premier League.
"He was one step ahead of his teammates all of last season and has grown immensely in the last six months,” said Joyes. “Barco predominantly played as a left back at youth level but former manager Jorge Almiron thought he would be better suited further up the field. Since then he has slotted comfortably in left midfield, as a left winger and even in central midfield.
"He has incredible vision, and I can't remember a young Argentine player standing out so much when in a not particularly strong side; some of his passes and his play in the final third have been bafflingly good. You think, ‘How on earth has he pulled that off?’
“In last year's Libertadores semi-finals against tournament favourites Palmeiras, all evening Barco danced around Allianz Park - which is a really intimidating place to go and the Brazilian side rarely loses there.
“He played without pressure and his confidence shone through. Moving across to the Premier League you have to adapt and while it will take some time to settle I believe he is ready to take the next step.
“In Argentina, Barco is very highly rated. One of my colleagues wrote a piece about him and said under the right management there is reason to believe he could be the next Trent Alexander-Arnold on the left side of the pitch. The sky is the limit with him and many are so excited about him.”
While Barco, who scored one goal and bagged four assists in 35 appearances for Boca between 2021-2023, has some of the best attacking stats among full-backs in the Primera Division, defending is an area where he can improve on his game.
Indeed, Joyes feels the youngster, who joined Boca in 2014, could follow in the footsteps of former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, who started his career as a left-back but found more success further up the field later in his career.
“He is not afraid to carry the ball into dangerous areas, look for interchanging passes with fellow teammates, and conjure up attacking moves all on his own,” he said. “Barco can offer so much passing wise but one of the areas to improve would be his defensive duties. His ball-striking could improve but it’s very much like a Gareth Bale story where he does okay at left-back before progressing into a really promising attacking player.
“He won’t be the fastest in the Premier League compared to certain others but he’s still agile enough to compete at this level. Under the right coach they could get the best out of him, but I believe his future lies away from the defence. Either way, he is an exciting talent.”