Arsenal have held initial talks with Boca Juniors over Cristian Pavon, and Saturday could be pivotal in deciding the future of the 22-year-old winger.

Football.London report that initial talks have already taken place between Boca Juniors and Arsenal over the potential for a deal. Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi is reportedly a ‘big admirer’ of the forward, who is believed to have a £44.5m release clause with his current club.

Having said all that, Saturday’s match between Boca Juniors and River Plate could end up being one of the most important factors in whether a move happens or not. Pavon’s dream has always been to win the Copa Libertadores with the Argentine club, and they have the chance to do so in the second leg of the final at 8pm British time.

Ever since the links to Pavon first emerged, it’s always been clear that Boca Juniors would only consider selling once their Copa Libertadores run had come to an end. If they lift the trophy this weekend, the winger would be entitled to ask Boca to consider letting him leave, if the right offer comes in.

The Copa Libertadores runs from March to November, whilst the Argentine league runs from August to May, so there’s some overlap whichever way you look at Pavon’s stats. To keep it simple, since August 2017 the winger has 11 goals and 19 assists in 46 club appearances.

A top dribbler and chance creator, Pavon could certainly add something to Arsenal in wide areas. We’ll see what happens in the Copa Libertadores final and go from there.