Reported Aston Villa and Spurs target Julian Alvarez will move to Europe “very soon” but may be better suited to La Liga than the Premier League, the mayor of his home village of Calchin has told Ole.
Hailing from a tiny village rather than the winding streets of Buenos Aires or Rosario, one of the brightest talents in South American football has come a long way from humble beginnings.
A Copa America winner in July, Alvarez is all anyone is talking about in Argentina right now.
Then again, when you’ve produced seven goals and four assists in 11 games – as well as a match-winning brace against River Plate’s bitter rivals Boca Juniors – you shouldn’t be surprised to find yourself under the microscope.
According to Calciomercato, Alvarez’s phone is ringing off the hook with offers from the other side of the Atlantic.
Tottenham have joined top-flight rivals Aston Villa in the race for the intuitive, versatile and technically gifted 21-year-old who was tipped to join the post-Grealish recruitment drive at Villa Park in the summer transfer window.
Spurs and Aston Villa interest in Julian Alvarez won’t go away
“Going to Europe is his dream and it will happen soon,” says Claudio Gorgerino, proud mayor of Calchin.
“He is 21 years old, very young, and scoring two goals in the Super Classico (against Boca) marks something. It makes me look forward to a bright and promising future.
“He is a player suited to soccer in Spain, at a team like Valencia or Sevilla. Spain and England are very tough leagues. Juli can give much more and I hope he becomes the best in the world.
“I just want to thank (him) for being from Calchin, for making us feel proud.
“I want to tell the River fans to stay calm because he is going to continue scoring goals, as he did in the 15 years he was here.”
Alvarez has a £22 million release clause in a contract due to expire in December 2022, around the time of the Qatar World Cup.
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