Town have made an enquiry regarding highly-rated Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas, according to reports in Chile. The Blues are said to have spoken to the 19-year-old's club Cobreloa having been impressed by his performances as Chile's U21s won this week's Toulon tournament.
A Dutch club are also believed to be interested in Vargas and are said to have already made an offer for the frontman, who can also play wide in midfield.
Earlier this week, Town's head of football development Bryan Klug was reported to be at the tournament, where Vargas made many of the headlines as he scored three goals in five games and helped his side to a 1-0 final victory over hosts France on Friday.
The striker is likely to be a player who was already familiar to the Town scouting staff as he made a similarly big impression at the Northern Ireland Milk Cup with Chile's U19s a year ago, scoring a hat-trick against Wales. The Blues are regulars at the tournament and sent a side to compete in the U17 club section last year.
Vargas, full name Eduardo Vargas Jesús Rojas but nicknamed Edú and Varguitas, also played at last year's Toulon tournament when his team finished second.
Born in Santiago, Vargas joined Cobreloa, who play in Chile's Primera División, in 2006 after a trial, having been spotted playing at a tournament in Puerto Montt. Previously, he was with amateur sides Universidad Catolica and Palestino.
Vargas first played for Cobreloa B, then progressed into their first team in 2008 and has now made 32 senior appearances, scoring six goals.
The 5ft 8in tall frontman has been praised for his all-round game in addition to his striking prowess, with comparisons of his style having been made with AC Milan's Alexandre Pato, something the Chilean finds flattering: "I think it is beautiful. There are many things in my game that resemble his. I take him as a tremendous example.â€Â
No big name clubs have been linked with Vargas up to now, but he emerged as one of the stars of the Toulon tournament and is likely to have impressed many of the innumerable scouts in France checking out the emerging talent from across the globe.