Liga MX champion Tigres made the highest-profile signing of the January transfer window in Mexico's first division on Friday, with the announcement that Chile international forward Eduardo Vargas will be joining the club from Hoffenheim.
The 27-year-old will be flying into Monterrey on Sunday morning, confirmed the club, while reports from ESPN Mexico suggest he will sign a four-year contract.
Vargas' future in the Bundesliga was a subject of much speculation this month, with interest reported from China, Brazil and Turkey, but a deal to bring the former Napoli, QPR and Valencia striker to Tigres came after French forward Andy Delort left the club for Toulouse on Thursday.
El Club @TigresOficial anuncia la contratación del chileno @eduvargas_17, quien llega el domingo por la mañana a la ciudad.
- CLUB TIGRES OFICIAL (@TigresOficial) January 27, 2017
Delort joined his compatriot and current France international Andre-Pierre Gignac at Tigres last summer, but struggled to earn regular Liga MX starts under coach Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti.
Vargas will also have to battle for a place in the team, with Ismael Sosa, Gignac, Lucas Zelarayan, Javier Aquino and Jurgen Damm all vying for starts.
Mexico international Damm announced Friday that he had offers from European clubs this transfer window, but said they didn't match Tigres' valuation. He added that he didn't want to leave the club "through the back door."
Former Universidad de Chile player Vargas is well-known in Mexico after he scored four goals for Chile against El Tri in the 7-0 victory in last summer's Copa America Centenario quarterfinal.
