Julian Alvarez, the Argentine forward, has been linked with a move to a number of big teams in European major leagues in the upcoming January transfer window.
The 21-year-old forward appears to be Argentina’s latest raw diamond, with a number of European clubs keeping an eye on him. AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, and even Aston Villa and Fiorentina have all expressed interest in signing him soon. Some media outlets have dubbed the River Plate player the “new Lautaro Martinez.” So far this season, he has registered 16 goals and six assists in sixteen games, including a brace in Superclassico against his team’s neighboring rival, Boca Juniors.
Julian Alvarez: Attracting Big Clubs to Sign Him in January
AC Milan the Frontrunner
Among those potentially suitors, the Italian side AC Milan seems to be the front-runner in the pursuit of the Argentina’s future key man. Rossonerri has been reportedly monitoring the situation as well as making approach to Marcelo Gallardo’s side.
Julian Alvarez’s value is around €25 million, which already included the release clause. His contract is set to expire in December 2022. Yet, River Plate would take the minimum offer of €20 millions to release their young frontman. Such price tag is not a big issue for Milan. In fact, they have reportedly reached agreement with Los Milonarios for the January move despite hoping that Alvarez would continue extend his contract.
The versatile forward is expected to be a great addition in Stefano Pioli’s squad which desperately is seeking a prolific young striker . Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud are not getting any younger, Ante Rebic is prone to injury while Rafael Leao has been inconsistent so far. Alvarez can feature as a winger on both sides or number ten role besides the natural frontman.
However, Rossonerri is still concerned with the competition from their contenders until they officially secure his signature. Real Madrid is looking for Karim Benzema’s back up, and so is Fiorentina and Juventus. Meanwhile, Aston Villa is aiming for Jack Grealish’s replacement. Not to mention that they have his senior national teammates in the squad, Emiliano Martinez and Emmanuel Buendia. Bayer Leverkusen have had a positive cooperation with River Plate after signing Lucas Alario and Exequiel Palacios previously. Such could help the German side seal the deal.
Alvarez’s Form in Albiceleste
Julian Alvarez might be shining in his club but he has not been exactly on the spotlight in the national team. He just made his debut in June 2021 as a substitute for Angel Di Maria in the world cup qualifiers match against Chile.
Alvarez was included in Copa America 2021 squad when Argentina became the champions. Unfortunately, he did not feature in a single match of the tournament. Last week, he did not play at all while thumping Uruguay on the road but came off the bench against Brazil in the qualifying round. So far, he has just earned five caps but without a single goal or assist yet.
Prior to getting a call-up for the senior squad, the River Plate man had been named in World Cup U-21 2019. He only scored one goal plus provided two assists in the tournament. Unfortunately, Alvarez missed out the chance to play in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 as he did not make the cut for the squad.
Main Image Credit Embed from Getty Images
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