Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade has confirmed that his side have lost out on the signature of River Plate's Julian Alvarez to Manchester City.

The Premier League champions are reported to be closing in on the signature of the Argentina international for a fee of €18.5m (£15.4m) including bonuses.

Manchester United and Fiorentina were also linked with a move for the highly-rated Alvarez, and La Viola chief Prade has revealed that the 21-year-old will soon be at the Etihad.

Speaking to Firenzeviola.it, Prade said: "We followed him for a long time but there was never the need to take him and now he has been taken by Manchester City.

The Viola director did question Alvarez's decision, though, adding: "I don't know if the choice to go to City be the right one for him, given the many champions it will be difficult to find continuity."

Alvarez finished the 2021 season with 18 goals and nine assists in 21 Liga Profesional appearances and earned his sixth cap for the Argentina national team as a substitute in a 2-1 World Cup Qualifying win over Chile on Thursday.