Pep Guardiola has remained tight-lipped on Manchester City pursuit of River Plate Striker Julian Alvarez, who is being linked with a move to the Etihad during this winter window.
On Friday, several reports emerged from both the camps claiming that the defending champions are considered to be “very close” in signing the Argentine forward, with the 21-year-old’s contract ending this December.
However, when enquired about City’s position regarding the signing of Alvarez in a post-match interview of City’s 1-1 stalemate with the Saints, Guardiola commented that
"“I don’t have any information from the club, anything. Not one word. I don’t know anything. I don’t have any information about the club.”Pep won’t confirm until paperworks are signed – negotiations still ongoing on final details."
Source: Fabrizio Romano(via twitter).
Alvarez, who was outstanding for River Plate last season netting the ball on 20 occasions and laying down 12 of them, finished the campaign as the league’s top scorer, leading the Gallinas to their 37th Primera Division title. The 21-year-old was even a part of Argentina’s Copa America winning side and was named South American Footballer of the Year in 2021, having scored a record 39 goals in a single calendar year.
Many elite clubs have been itching to get their hands on the promising talent with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Inter Milan in contention. However, Manchester City are tipped to sign the Striker with the Skyblues in the final stages of penning down a deal with Alvarez.
With that said, even if a deal is completed, the 21-year-old is not expected to make an immediate move to the Etihad until the summer, with River Plate hoping to hold on to their striker until the end of this season.
Manchester City will be keen on landing either Erling Haaland or Dusan Vlahovic in the summer, but Alvarez could be a valuable addition to the squad with his pace and finishing abilities coming into play.