Audax Italiano Signs Chile Striker Eduardo Vargas After U de Chile Talks Stall

Audax Italiano confirmed on 24 July that Chilean international forward Eduardo Vargas has joined the Santiago-based club, ending weeks of speculation over a potential return to Universidad de Chile. The 35-year-old was presented in the team’s green strip with an assigned squad number, marking his first spell in Chilean domestic football since leaving Universidad de Chile for Napoli in 2012. People familiar with the negotiations said Audax is paying Vargas about CLP 20 million (US$22,500) a month, roughly four times the CLP 5 million reportedly offered by Universidad de Chile. The agreement runs for an initial six months with an option to extend for an additional season, and includes performance-linked bonuses. Vargas thanked Audax for “negotiating in a framework of respect” and said unspecified factors made a reunion with Universidad de Chile impossible. The signing is seen as a setback for the country’s second-most-titled club, which had publicly courted the striker to bolster its attack for the season’s second half.