The new Chicharito? What Liverpool fans can actually expect from Marco Bueno
Football Spy has signed up some of the web's top foreign football experts to provide you with first-hand information on the latest Premier League transfer targets. Here's Joe Krishnan on Liverpool target Marco Bueno...
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Liverpool fans have become used to seeing new faces arrive this summer following big money acquisitions of stars like Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam.
And yet, should Kenny Dalglish decide to take the plunge, one of the club's best signings could also be the least heralded: 17-year-old Mexican Marco Bueno.
FC Pachuca first snapped up Bueno after some impressive performances in local youth tournaments. And while he has never made a senior appearance for Pachuca, Bueno was loaned out to second-tier outfit Club Leon, for whom he impressed in his only appearance before joining up with the Mexico U17 squad for the age group's World Cup.
And what a tournament Bueno had. After Mexico sealed the trophy with a 2-0 win over a much-fancied Uruguay side, he was hailed as not just the creative force in the team, but also one of the country's most promising talents.
Bueno played the trequartista role to tremendous effect and formed a lethal strike partnership with Chivas’ Carlos Fierro.
Having played together from a very young age, the pair had an almost telepathic understanding, allowing them to slip into almost imperceptible channels in otherwise watertight defences.
Bueno only scored once in the competition - a glancing header against Panama in the group stage - but he more than made up for his lack of goals by disrupting defences and creating spaces with his vision and smart movement.
Despite that meagre return, he is a natural finisher who's excellent with both feet and was prolific for Pachuca's youth side.
The comparisons to Manchester United’s Mexican striker Javier Hernandez are inevitable, but Bueno recently stated that his dream is to follow the path of former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
And watching Bueno in action proves that the comparisons to Hernandez are wide of the mark.
His pace, movement and anticipation make Bueno a nightmare for defenders. He constantly comes deep to receive passes, and shows a willingness to retain possession and get the ball forward.
Liverpool fans hoping for instant rewards could well be disappointed, though.
Bueno will almost certainly be viewed as a prospect for the future, rather than a signing who can make an immediate impact.
There's also the danger he might not break through at all.
Liverpool fans won't need reminding that Rafa Benitez signed several young strikers, such as Kristian Nemeth, who failed to blossom into first-team regulars.
Yet, you feel that it will be different for this particular hopeful.
It's not often that a youngster playing in Mexico is targeted by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and AC Milan.
The striker's surname translates into English as ‘good’ - and Bueno should more than live up to his name.
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