Simply put, Celtic have been on the up since Ange Postecoglou took charge of the club last summer.

Their performances on the pitch have been remarkably good in the Premiership and took the title back to Parkhead at the first time of asking. The credit for that not only goes to Postecoglou’s tactics and approach but also to the signings he has made at the club.

After securing top players from the J1 League last season, he has shifted his focus elsewhere this summer with left-back Alexandro Bernabéi becoming a historic addition to the team as the club's first Argentinian.

Since then the Hoops have been linked with Bernabei's compatriot - Argentinos Juniors midfielder Fausto Vera.

Rumoured transfer fee and contract situation aside, would the 22-year-old even fit in? Let's take a look...

Who is Fausto Vera?

Nationality: Argentinian; Age (DOB): 22 (March 26 2000); Position: Defensive midfielder; Preferred foot: Right; Height: 5ft 11in

Vera has been a critical player for Argentinos Juniors and is coming off the back of a good couple of years.

The 22-year-old is a young and sharp defensive midfielder with the ability to play on the ball but also be a key asset out of possession.

He has earned eight caps for the Argentina under-23s team and was part of their Olympics side last year.

Heatmaps, passing and press-resistance

Celtic Way:

As you can see from the heatmap above, Vera is very much positioned in the central areas of the pitch and is active on the ball in the midfield third of the pitch in his half.

Next, let's look at his passing numbers in the last calendar year:

Celtic Way:

Vera is someone who likes to be safe with possession. Still, the low volume of penetrative passes shouldn’t be taken out of context as he is someone who focuses more on quality than quantity when it comes to his playmaking.

The young Argentine is essentially a deep-lying playmaker who recycles possession often and keeps his team on track with the ball but breaks lines when he sees an opportunity to do so.

Celtic Way:

The above image is one of those situations where he drops between the centre-backs to receive the ball and then waits before breaking the lines with his pass. The 22-year-old makes himself available in the build-up - tucking between the centre-backs or facing them in the number 6 area - waiting to receive the ball.

Celtic Way:

Another one of his key strengths is press resistance. His ability to beat the press is commendable and will be a huge asset for Celtic if they were to sign him. When closed down from either side, he tends to stay calm with the ball and, with impeccable close control and footwork, often controls the ball away from the pressing triggers before breaking out of it himself.

Celtic Way:

Celtic Way:

The above images exemplify how easily he breaks out from a press, quickly sorting his feet using his footwork.

When he is waiting to receive the ball and is being closed down by the opposition, his first touch and body shape help him quickly leverage his way out of any trouble.

While his press-resistance is a big positive, so is his passing range. As mentioned earlier, he likes recycling the ball efficiently but he has the range to go long and is capable of clipping balls over the top of the opposition defence.

Celtic Way:

Celtic Way:

Celtic Way:

Vera’s passing range is really quite brilliant. He likes to switch play to force movements and he can also pick out runners with long balls over the top.

He attempts 3.88 long passes per 90 with a longer pass length. Even for his shorter passes, his pass length is longer which is indicative of his team’s structure. His passing ability will likely translate well in the Premiership as he is the type of player who appears one step ahead. This is down to his intelligence to scan the pitch constantly, accelerating his decision-making on the ball.

Creativity and shooting

Although the numbers don’t indicate much of a creative threat in final attacks, Vera is still capable of feeding in good passes that lead to shooting opportunities.

Celtic Way:

Celtic Way:

The above images indicate what he can do when given time on the ball and there are willing runners in the team.

More than the final ball or shot-creating actions, the Argentine is excellent at quick one-twos with team-mates, simultaneously creating space and upping the game's tempo.

Another critical aspect of his game is his willingness to shoot from a distance. He averages 1.38 shots per 90 and has a really good technique when releasing. Vera generates power and pace in his shots, which makes it difficult for keepers to deal with.

He is not much of a box threat but when he does get in there during set-pieces, he generally looks to find space. Despite standing under six feet tall he possesses a good leap and can occasionally get on the end of crosses as a result.

Celtic Way:

Out-of-possession and duels

While he is an intelligent player on the ball, Vera is brilliant out of possession as well.

Not a high-volume dueller by nature, his reading of the game helps him gauge danger correctly and engage at the right time rather than committing early. He is not exactly the most aggressive in challenges but does use his physicality well.

His best defensive feature is being able to intercept passes excellently. As you can note in the data, his interceptions numbers are pretty high and it isn’t just picking on loose balls in space but also reading the opposition and pouncing in to intercept a pass.

He is very active generally and makes his move quickly when it comes to intercepting passes, which helps him get ahead of his man. In duelling, he does tend to disrupt the opposition flow quite well but his tackles aren’t what you'd call the prettiest.

Although there is a bit of rawness and a lack of consistency, Vera is a very good player who will surely get a move to a European league soon.

As for Celtic, if the terms were right he would likely prove to be another smart, starting-level signing from the Argentine top-flight.