Valentin Barco has been likened to a Premier League high-flyer as he closes in on a move to Albion.

The left-sided defender or midfielder is with Argentina under-23s in Venezuela ahead of the South American Olympic qualifying tournament.

He has been hailed as potentially a shrewd signing by an Argentinian top-flight player who has good knowledge of Albion’s play.

Francis Mac Allister, brother of Alexis and former team-mate of Facundo Buonanotte at Rosario Central, said: “He is richly talented technically.

“He has speed when he carries the ball forward, a good shot, is good at attacking players in one-on-one situations.

“He is more of an attacking than a defensive full-back and he fits really well into Roberto De Zerbi’s idea of playing football.”

He added: “In most recent times he has been playing more as a playmaking midfielder on the left-hand side.

“In the way he plays, he is very similar to (Arsenal’s Oleksandr) Zinchenko.”

Argentina under-23s kick off what could be an eight-game programme in the qualifiers when they take on Paraguay on Sunday evening.

They will complete their fixtures on ether February 2 or 11, depending on whether they reach the second stage of the competition.