WHEN Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United are all linked with a player, it’s natural to expect him to be a big-name star.
Yet Deportivo La Coruna’s Oscar Francisco Garcia Quintela – better known as Pinchi – isn’t even a household name in Spain.
Despite that, SunSport has revealed the Premier League trio are chasing the Spaniard and could make a move in the summer.
But who exactly is he? We asked our friends at Football Whispers to reveal all.
A move to any Premier League side would be a big step for Pinchi, let alone one to a top-six club who are likely to be competing in the Champions League next season. Yet that could be the future for the 22-year-old.
Born in A Coruna, he has come through the youth system at Deportivo and has played five times for the club’s senior side.
However, each of those appearances have come from the substitutes’ bench and only one of those was in La Liga – he replaced the current Newcastle forward Joselu in added time in a 1-1 draw against Las Palmas in January 2017.
Given Pinchi has such high-profile suitors, it’s perhaps a surprise he hasn’t been afforded more game time, although with Depor struggling in La Liga, it may be the wrong time to try and blood young, inexperienced players.
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New boss Clarence Seedorf may feel differently, however, and Pinchi could be thrown into the first team during the coming weeks.
Given his form for their B team, Deportivo Fabril, it would be no shock.
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Last season he was Fabril’s top scorer with 22 goals, a total which made him the second-highest scorer in Spain’s fourth division. That earned him a call-up to the first-team squad for pre-season for the third consecutive year.
This term his goalscoring record isn’t quite as good, with just six goals in 22 games in Segunda B, the Spanish third tier. But while he can play up front, Pinchi is more of a winger, so his goal tally is respectable.
Across all competitions, he’s been directly involved in 0.56 goals per 90 minutes (0.37 goals and 0.19 assists).
Right-footed, Pinchi is capable of playing on both flanks. More often than not he’s been used off the left this season though, where he cuts inside to use his stronger foot to have a shot.
His game is nuanced, though. He’s quick and capable of taking on a player, both by cutting inside or going outside, averaging 2.63 dribbles per 90 with a 59.7 per cent success rate.
Pinchi also has an impressive passing range. His vision allows him to pick out players both with a long ball, or with a quick flick in a crowded penalty box.
Jurgen Klopp would definitely like that he averages 3.33 interceptions per 90, closing down the opposition defenders and giving them no time on the ball.
That gives defenders no time on the ball to try to nick possession would suit Liverpool’s high-pressing system.
Whether he could show off his skills in the Premier League is entirely another matter, and it’s likely he would take time to settle into a top flight club in England.
He’d probably start off in an Under-23 side or be sent out on loan as he tries to adapt to English football. Given he’s out of contract in the summer though, he would arrive on a free and that would make him a low-risk transfer.
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