Nguyễn Quang Hải is reported to join Spainish Deportivo Alaves in the coming time. — Photo zing.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s biggest football star could be on the move to a top Spanish club in the near future.

Hà Nội FC and national team midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải will go on trial with La Liga side Deportivo Alaves at some point this year or next, according to La Liga Operations Director for ASEAN, Japan, South Korea and Australia Ivan Codina.

The midfielder had previously been scheduled to train for 10 days with Alaves in March, but injury prevented him from making the trip, but the Spanish club’s interest doesn't seem to have diminished.

Codina told Vietnamese media that the club had been impressed with Hải’s performances in recent times, which included leading Việt Nam to the Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever in January.

"There’s not a big gap in abilities and exterior skills of Asian players. It is an opportunity for them to boost their ability in higher level tournaments," VnExpress International quoted Codina as saying.

The Basque side have enjoyed a successful domestic campaign and sit in 10^th place in the table after 36 fixtures, with one of their 12 wins a 1-0 victory over giants Real Madrid.

Codina also hinted that other Vietnamese players could soon have the opportunity to make their way to Spain to face off with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.

Hải has been in fine form for the capital side this season, with two goals in the V.League 1 and some stellar continental performances in the AFC Cup.

The diminutive playmaker won the 2018 Vietnamese Golden Ball as the country’s top footballer, largely thanks to leading his country to victory at the AFF Suzuki Cup in December and the final of the AFC U23 Championship in January 2018, where he scored a stunning free-kick.

Hải's teammates have managed to parlay the international team’s success into moves to a higher level of competition abroad in recent months.

Goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm signed for Muangthong United for a $500,000 transfer fee in January, while shortly after Lương Xuân Trường and Nguyễn Công Phượng went out on loan to teams in Thailand and South Korea, respectively. — VNS