The £11.5m Argentine rising star being sized up by both Newcastle and Spurs

Both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been named on a list of major European teams involved in the chase for one of Argentina’s rising stars - Kevin Zenón, a 23-year-old midfielder currently with Boca Juniors. But is he ready for the rigours of the Premier League, and will either side make a move?

Sport Witness have picked up on recent reports from both Argentina and Portugal (Benfica are also heavily linked with a bid) which suggest the two English sides in the market, alongside clubs like Porto, Lyon and Napoli. It’s an illustrious list of suitors, and the fact that he has a reported release clause of just £11.5m means that Zenón, who played for Argentina’s Under-23s in the recent Olympics but has yet to earn a senior cap, means that he’s unlikely to be priced out of a move. He will be on European soil before too long.

An attacking midfielder who can play on either flank or through the middle, Zenón typically looks to attack the channels in the final third, roaming free in search of space to run into with his dribbling skills, which are highly impressive – highlights reels of his play show him twisting and tricking his way past opposing midfielders with ease and invention on a regular basis before surging towards the opposing area.

And once he forces his way into those areas, he’s constantly on the look out for a killer final pass, something he has the vision and awareness to pull of with aplomb. He’s been generating impressive volumes of chances for his team-mates since signing for Boca back in January, often with well-weighted angled passes or through balls which thread the needle between defenders. Zenón rarely looks for the economical play or for opportunities to recycle possession. Instead, he goes for the throat, even if he isn’t typically looking to land the final blow himself.

All of which sounds like the kind of player that both Eddie Howe and Ange Postecoglou would value in midfield – both are managers that want the ball forward quickly, often at his players’ feet, and they want players that can break the lines and create quick overloads. Zenón has the capacity in spades.

That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have faults. As impressive as he can be in full flow, his first touch can be awkward and in the Premier League, when opposing midfielders are usually on top of players like a shot, that could hurt him. He’s also not especially effective off the ball, and while more than willing to do the hard yards he doesn’t force vast numbers of turnovers. Teams like Spurs and Newcastle, who press hard from front to back, may be wary of that issue as well, although he doesn’t lack the energy or determination to work as part of a pressing unit.

There’s also the question of where he might play in the 4-3-3 system preferred by both sides. He’s a natural winger but as a left-footer who plays on the left most often, he’s more of a traditional winger than the hybrid forward now more typically seen – and while very capable of operating as a central midfielder, that’s where his weaknesses may be highlighted most clearly. So far, he has shone in Boca’s 4-4-2 but hasn’t proven that he can be as effective in a different set up.

Presumably, both sides would look to use him either centrally or as a right inside forward, but it remains to be seen as to whether he has the physical presence and press resistance to function effectively through the middle at the very highest level, and he isn’t a natural goalscorer, which may limit his efficacy cutting in from the right flank. He only has three career goals in the top tier of Argentine football from 72 appearances for both Boca and his previous club, Unión.

Still, while there are caveats, there is no question that Zenón is a brilliant passer and dribbler who can light games up with his vision and skill. At £11.5m – at most – he may well be worth a punt. Whether it’s Spurs or Newcastle who takes that chance remains to be seen.