December 21 (THEWILL) – Manchester United are the latest club to show interest in River Plate midfielder Julian Alvarez.
The 21-year-old is quietly establishing himself as one of the most sought-after players in the world, having scored 18 goals and added seven assists in just 21 league appearances for River this season, earning himself a call-up to Argentina’s national squad.
Real Madrid, Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Bayer Leverkusen have all been associated with Alvarez in the past, with Barcelona joining the party recently, and now Manchester United.
So far, Alvarez’s representatives have received calls from Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, with his €20 million release clause proving too enticing for the big clubs to pass on.
Sebastian Srur, a reliable River journalist, later backed up United’s interest, even suggesting that the Red Devils could speed up negotiations with the 21-year-old in the coming weeks.
One of United’s top priorities these days is to find a new striker for the future. Those in control at Old Trafford are eager to plan for Cristiano Ronaldo’s eventual exit now that he is 36 years old.
Mason Greenwood has long been touted as United’s future striker, with some even suggesting he should be given the nod right now, but the club is still linked with a slew of new forwards.
Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund has remained high on their wish list, as is the case with nearly every top club on the planet, but it appears that Alvarez has also caught their attention.
Alvarez is rumoured to be interested in a move to Europe in the hopes of improving his chances of joining Argentina’s World Cup squad in 2022, but River are attempting to persuade him to stay by promising him that staying at home will provide him the greatest playing time.
“We seek to transfer a player when he reached his ceiling, a moment that is good for him and the club. And we believe that Julian still has not arrived at his,” River president Jorge Brito said.
Alvarez’s contract runs until December 2022, but he has no shortage of options. In the next six months, he will either leave for €20 million or sign a new contract with River Plate.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
