Joe McQuoid

Whilst the return of one Catalan hero dominated the headlines in Barcelona this summer, on the opposite side of the city another young Spanish star was leaving to make his own emotional homecoming. Growing financial restrictions at Espanyol ensured an offer was accepted for the club’s talented 24-year-old forward Jose Callejon, who went full circle and completed a dream move back to his boyhood club, Real Madrid.

Following the departure of defenders Didac Vila and Victor Ruiz in January, Callejon became the latest first team fixture to leave Los Periquitos, much to the frustration of coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine voiced his disappointment at being forced to part company with several key players last season as Espanyol, who occupied fourth place at the turn of the year, signed off in eighth position with the side’s colossal drop in form coinciding with the resulting disruption to their first choice back four.

Although Pochettino publicly raised concerns about the depth of his playing squad at the time, the emergence of a new generation of talented young players has since softened the blow somewhat, with both Jordi Amat and Raul Rodriguez impressing after being fast tracked into the first eleven during the second half of the campaign.

 

And following an underwhelming start to his AC Milan career, Vila’s immediate return from Italy on loan should help to aid their integration into the side and strengthen Pochettino’s defensive line in the short term, whilst the man expected to fill Callejon’s boots is currently rated as one of the most exciting prospects in Spanish football and is tipped to make huge impact in La Liga this coming season.

Having recently scored five goals in five appearances for Spain at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia, Alvaro Vazquez is now likely to spearhead the Espanyol attack alongside Pablo Osvaldo when the side kick off the new campaign away to Mallorca on the opening day of the Primera Division season.

In the 2010/11 campaign the 20-year-old was limited to brief cameo appearances and found himself strictly third choice behind Osvaldo and Callejon; Vazquez will hope that his goal haul in South America will strengthen his case for a regular starting berth having been used as a substitute in 22 of his 30 appearances for the club to date.

Although Vazquez was pipped to the Golden Boot award in Colombia by Henrique – the Brazil forward scored the same number of goals but clocked up an additional assist in the process – the Spaniard’s contribution can be considered more impressive given the fact that he played just 219 minutes of football and started on only one game for his country.

In comparison, the Sao Paolo striker lined up in six out of seven matches for the eventual champions and spent more than double the amount of time on the pitch, clocking up 557 minutes of playing time.

Ultimately it was Vazquez’ saved spot kick in the shoot-out defeat to Brazil at the quarter-final stage which sealed Spain’s elimination from the tournament; yet his extra-time equaliser in the same game and lively contributions as a substitute not only highlighted the player’s ability to score important goals at crucial stages of big games, but also suggested that he is finally ready for an extended run in Espanyol’s first team.

Capable of shooting with either foot, boasting excellent positional sense in and around the box and rarely beaten over ten yards, these attributes along with being of a similar height and build mean that comparisons can be drawn between the playing style of Vazquez and Manchester United’s explosive Mexican forward, Javier Hernandez.

And similar to the way in which “Chicharito” was scouted by potential suitors during his time at Chivas Guadalajara, the 20-year-old’s performances this summer have not gone unnoticed with a number of European clubs, including Valencia, Malaga, Newcastle and Wigan monitoring the player’s progress.

However, unless Espanyol receive another offer that they simply cannot afford to refuse, it seems that a chance to make an impression on La Liga for Los Periquitos would be the preferable option for both the player and his club before seeking a transfer, especially with the void left by Callejon’s departure.

If Pochettino is prepared to start the season with Vazquez alongside the more experienced Osvaldo, then there is every chance that an impressive goal return in La Liga could see Vasquez add to his single Under-21 international cap too.

The early signs of promise shown by this budding hopeful make Vazquez one of the most exciting prospects to look out for in La Liga when the delayed opening day of the season finally arrives.