Is Mexico Midfielder Hector Herrera an Alternative to Sami Khedira for Arsenal?

Hector Herrera's brilliant performance at the 2014 World Cup put him on the radar of several clubs. But, would he leave Porto? Could he be a good fit for Arsenal's midfield?

The Gunners have been linked with Sami Khedira for weeks, and now La Sexta (via Ben Burrows from the Mirror) has added fuel to the fire by reporting that the Germany international seeks €9 million per year to seal the deal, which is down from his earlier demands, according to Burrows.

Still, if this doesn't happen, Arsenal could very well take a look at Herrera, who has been one of Mexico's most promising footballers for the past couple of years.

It all started in 2012, when he was named Most Valuable Player of the Toulon tournament. Then, during the summer, he helped El Tri secure the gold medal at the London Olympics.

He eventually signed with Porto, and during the 2013-14 season, he appeared 17 times in the Portuguese league, where he scored three goals. He also tallied three in the UEFA Champions League and six in the Europa League.

His transition from the Mexico U23 to the senior team wasn't a walk in the park. However, under the command of Miguel Herrera (not related), he found his best form to date.

The midfielder has a lot of vision and creativity. He can feed balls to the wingers and forwards easily, becoming a key component of the attacking line.

During Brazil 2014, Herrera's average pass accuracy was 82 percent. He made 10 key passes and had one assist, as per Squawka.

Herrera also put two balls in the crossbar; the first one versus Brazil and the other one against Croatia. His dribbling skills and fine touch are two skills that always come in handy to unbalance the rivals' defense.

His endurance in the defense was also sharp. FIFA.com reported that he recovered 17 balls.

On the other hand, Khedira played five matches, one as sub. He created five opportunities, including four key passes and one assist.

In the defensive front, the Real Madrid midfielder made one mistake, which led to an attempt at goal, as per Squawka, and recovered 12 balls, according to FIFA.com.

It is true that Khedira has more experience than Herrera, but the Mexican has shown that at age 24, he is capable of a lot.

He would be a great investment. Not only is he younger, but he has a lot of raw talent. Porto set his buyout clause at €40 million, which could make it hard for Arsenal to take their chances on a transfer, but the Mexican is worth it.

He is the kind of midfielder who can lay on the right flank or in the center of the pitch with the same success.

Right now the Gunners need someone who can link their star-studded defensive and offensive lines, which Herrera has accomplished with Porto and El Tri.

All stats appear courtesy of ESPN FC unless otherwise noted.