Jonathan Vidallé, who spent part of his playing career in Chile before moving to Europe, is now the man leading Arsenal’s scouting operations in South America.
In a detailed interview with ADN Deportes, the Argentine gave an in-depth look into how one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs identifies and evaluates talent across the continent.
Vidallé, who once featured for Provincial Osorno in the late 1990s, later joined Boca Juniors’ technical department. He’s now been with Arsenal for over a decade. One of his notable discoveries was Chilean midfielder Marcelo Allende, whom he took to London in 2016, where he was mentored by Alexis Sánchez.
Asked about his approach, Vidallé explained that despite the growing use of data and technology, he still relies on intuition and live observation.
“Each year there are more tools and statistics to summarise players. I prefer to trust my instincts. Having been a footballer, I like watching matches live. You see how the kid behaves, how he reacts to the atmosphere and the opposition.”
For the Arsenal scout, the job goes far beyond a quick impression: “You can’t just watch a player once or twice and decide if he’s good or not. They’re human, they have good and bad days. You collect all the information, analyse performances, and then see if he fits what your team needs.”
Vidallé also highlighted how scouting for Arsenal means understanding Mikel Arteta’s requirements in detail.
“If I’m looking for a No.9, I already know how Arsenal’s striker plays. I know what attributes he must have to fit Arteta’s system,” he said.
Technical quality, intelligence and physical readiness are essential, particularly in a competition as demanding as the Premier League.
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One player he pushed for but the club never signed was Thiago Almada, now at Atlético Madrid.
“I made 56 reports on him. I’ve known him since he was in the U15s. I always liked him. Physically he’s not ideal for the Premier League. Sometimes it’s frustrating when someone you spotted ends up succeeding elsewhere, but that’s part of the game.”
The scout also offered a candid reflection on the influence of agents: “Some representatives help players succeed, but others take away their hunger. There are kids who play very well at 14 or 15, and suddenly they’re earning a lot of money without having achieved anything yet. These agencies, often unknowingly, take away the desire to fight for a first-team spot.”
Vidallé illustrated how the profession has evolved with a striking example from Arsenal’s recruitment process: “At the U20 World Cup in Argentina, two of my colleagues brought an eight or nine-page dossier on Declan Rice. It was so detailed it looked like an intelligence report. Age curves, mentality, how concentration changed during matches. That’s how deep we go now. The old databases no longer exist.”
Today, Arsenal’s global scouting network is a highly structured operation. “We have eight scouts dedicated to the first team, covering the entire world. Then 14 people handle video analysis. Watching at least three matches a day from any league, and another four or five focus specifically on youth recruitment in the UK,” he concluded.
Vidallé’s insights underline how Arsenal’s South American scouting has become a sophisticated blend of data, instinct and experience – but above all, one still led by human perception.
