River Plate will accept £17 million for Julian Alvarez as Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur jostle for a January deal, as reported by Calciomercato.
With his contract expiring around the time of the Qatar World Cup, River Plate will have to enter negotiations with one hand tied firmly behind their back.
Not only does Alvarez have an affordable £22 million release clause in his contract – one that has attracted the attention of AC Milan, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Inter and long-time admirers Real Madrid – he’s also due to become a free agent in just 14 months.
With that in mind, River are rapidly running out of time if they want to sell their prized asset for a sum befitting a player of his talent and match-winning potential.
According to reports in Italy, Alvarez will be available for a hefty discount in the new year, with £17 million enough to secure the signature of an old-school number ten who’s contributed 11 goals and assists in 11 league games this season.
Could Julian Alvarez move to Aston Villa or Tottenham for just £17m?
Aston Villa are back in contention, having decided against a summer bid for the Copa America-winning Argentina international, but will now face competition from top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Should Alvarez swap Los Millonarios for north London, more questions would be raised about the future of Dele Alli, whose form has dipped alarmingly after a promising start to life under Nuno Espirito Santo.
River Plate are under no illusions regarding Alvarez’s future too, accepting the most exciting young talent in Argentine football is unlikely to extend his contract.
The 21-year-old “dreams” of a move to Europe after all and it seems his dream will become reality sooner rather than later.
His phone must be red hot as clubs in England, Spain, Italy and Germany form a queue longer than you see outside Asda on Christmas Eve.
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