Aston Villa are reportedly set to make a formal offer for 21-year-old Argentine attacker Julian Alvarez over a move this summer.
According to a report by Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa are stepping up their efforts to sign Julian Alvarez in the summer transfer window. The Premier League outfit are set to submit an official bid for the 21-year-old forward, who is also being courted by AC Milan.
Julian Alvarez spent most of his formative years at Atletico Calchin while also having trials with Real Madrid and Boca Juniors before ending his footballing education at River Plate. The young attacker broke into the Argentine giants’ first-team setup in 2018 and has since made decent progress with the Buenos Aires-based club.
To date, the 21-year-old has made 71 appearances for River Plate, managing a respectable tally of 16 goals and 17 assists along the way. His development over the last couple of years has also earned Alvarez his big break with the Argentine national side, having turned out twice for La Albiceleste. At the same time, clubs in Europe are also taking note of his progress, with Aston Villa among his suitors.
Aston Villa are intent on bolstering their squad this summer to an extent that they take the next step in their progression and stake a claim for European qualification in the upcoming season. To that end, they are battling hard to keep hold of captain Jack Grealish, who is being heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.
At the same time, the Midlands outfit are looking to reduce their over-dependence on Grealish, having struggled a great deal in his absence last term. To that end, Aston Villa have already signed Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City, with his addition reinforcing Dean Smith’s creative options considerably.
In addition, the arrival of another attacker has become a part of the Villans’ agenda this summer, which is why they have been linked with Leon Bailey, Todd Cantwell and Emile Smith Rowe, although the Arsenal playmaker will definitely not be arriving at Villa Park. And Aston Villa have now turned their attention towards Julian Alvarez.
The 21-year-old was recently a part of the victorious Argentine squad at Copa America, where Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was one of the heroes for La Albiceleste. And after his agent Fernando Hidalgo flew into Europe to hold talks with clubs over a summer move, Villa are now set to make their move for him.
As per the report, an official offer is imminent for Alvarez, who is also being tailed by AC Milan. It will, therefore, be interesting to see if the opening bid is enough to convince River Plate to cash in on the Argentine forward, with Aston Villa completing their attacking unit, in turn, or if the Premier League club are forced to turn their attention elsewhere to bolster their front-line.