Manchester City fans look like they can start getting excited about a player who will thrill them for years to come.
Despite attracting interest from a host of top clubs in Europe, Julian Alvarez appears to be closing in on a £17.9million move to the Premier League champions from River Plate.
Since his departure, City have struggled to find a Sergio Aguero replacement for a whole host of reasons. Alvarez's mooted arrival is not expected to affect the club’s pursuit for a more established centre-forward in the summer, but the 21-year-old has qualities that could see him become a regular in Pep Guardiola's star-studded line-up.
The Blues could go from having no recognised centre-forward to two top-class strikers providing goals by the bucketload.
Guardiola’s side have hardly struggled this season as they sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League. But Pep’s never been one to shy away from having a variety of options.
In the MEN’s latest Facebook Live, City is Ours writer Alex Brotherton was accompanied by Argentinian football journalist Santi Bauza as the pair discussed all things Alvarez, including the much-discussed comparisons with City’s all-time top goalscorer.
SB: “Well, I think the comparisons are inevitable [with Aguero] because we're talking about this Argentine kind of withdrawn striker, the kind of striker that I think Argentina has excelled at developing in the last century.
“I think he's also that kind of player in the sense that he's not very tall and very physical but he's a very, very quick striker. He can pounce on space given to him.
“I think he can also link up a lot with the attacking partners around him. He tends to play alongside a bigger striker. I think he could benefit maybe from a striker alongside, someone who can help him.
“But with the ball at his feet, I think he’s really, really skilful. Not exactly a flair player, but someone who can always play the ball in the tight areas. He's very smart and he’s capable of shooting from anywhere.
“I think he could be a really good asset for any club, but especially Manchester City who actually value those qualities of a centre-forward like this.”
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