From Bombonera to the Dragon. Alan Varela signed with FC Porto until 2028. The Argentine midfielder, champion of Boca Juniors, will wear the blue and white shirt with the number 22, his current age. The Porto players immediately pay eight million euros, plus three million for goals, with the Xeneize club entitled to 20% of the capital gains from a future transfer.

“I am very happy to join a club as big as FC Porto and I look forward to meeting my new teammates and the club’s facilities… I feel very happy. The stadium is beautiful, I can’t waiting to play here and I ‘I’ll get to work right away to see if I earn the lord’s trust this weekend,’ said the dragons’ most recent reinforcement.

“Signing for a great club like FC Porto” made Alan Varela “extremely motivated and wanted” to wear the blue and white shirt. “I promise to sacrifice myself for the team. I want to play as many games as possible and I will try to be 100% in all games. Thanks to the fans for the welcome messages, I am very happy to be here and hopefully we can achieve our goals together,” said the Argentinian.

The Argentine “has been mentioned for a while” by the Porto players, according to Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa: “A player that has been referenced for a long time, we were in negotiations and Boca Juniors asked a lot to realize it only after the Libertadores draw. We understand the situation and are happy to fulfill an old wish. We have the highest hopes for Alan Varela and I am convinced that with the team we have at the helm of Sérgio Conceição, we will bring joy and moments of jubilation to our supporters.”

Full Riquelme style midfielder

Born in Isidro Casanova, a city in the Buenos Aires region, Alan Varela started playing for Barcelona Luján, an affiliate of the Catalan club in the Argentine capital, before moving to Boca Juniors in 2012. At the age of 16, he was already doing pre-seasons with main squad learned from Wilmar Barrios and Nahitan Nández.

Anyone who has seen him grow as a player emphasizes his intelligence to move around the field despite his young age (22 years old) and his ability to solve the move in one or two touches in addition to his high technique. A complete midfielder in the style of Riquelme – the Boca manager who made negotiations with FC Porto difficult – or Uribe, he is physically strong and aggressive in regaining possession, just like Sérgio Conceição.

And copes well with the offensive zone of the field. His was the 8,000th goal in Boca history, but what he “likes a lot is having the ball and letting his teammates play”.

This is a young prospect from Argentine football, who was already on Benfica’s radar to replace Enzo Fernández when he left for Chelsea. It also stood out on a statistical level. He made 77 passes with a 95% success rate, recovered 11 balls and had four interceptions in an Argentina championship game against Huracán, which the Argentine press said was not a perfect performance as it was not against rivals River Plate.

After making his debut for the Xineizes in 2019, he took part in the team’s pre-season and signed up with Libertadores. Only later did he sign a professional contract with the club, having extended it twice in four years to raise the termination clause.

The irreverence of youth hindered progress. In March 2022, a lack of discipline prevented him from being used more often in Boca’s main team and integrated the crop of captains. Relegated to the B team for 10 days, he returned to the starting line-up in the Superclássico with River and won the fans’ hearts once and for all.

Alan Varela is already the father of a girl and has the names of the parents (Gonzalo and Patricia) tattooed on his neck. He is a fan of compatriot Leandro Paredes and Dragon for the next five seasons.