Manchester City have completed the signing of highly-rated Argentina forward Julian Alvarez from River Plate, for a fee believed to be worth around £14.2m plus add-ons.
The 22-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League leaders, but he will stay with River Plate until July at the earliest before potentially joining up with Pep Guardiola's squad for the 2022-23 campaign.
Citizens supporters will be excited by the arrival of Alvarez, who is regarded as one of the brightest prospects to emerge from South America and who won the continent's Footballer of the Year award in 2021, after a stellar season in front of goal for the Primera Division champions.
Ahead of his arrival at the Etihad Stadium, Sports Mole takes a look at how Man City could line up with the Argentina international.
Since the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero, Guardiola has deployed a false nine, and having that extra man in deeper, central areas has notably enhanced the Spaniard's possession-based philosophy.
While City have scored plenty of goals using this system without a recognised striker, they could arguably have scored even more with a natural centre-forward, who would make those instinctive runs into the danger zone to pick up the empty spaces inside the penalty box, left countless times by Guardiola's current crop of attackers.
The arrival of Alvarez, who is not regarded as an out-and-out striker, will not deter City in their desire to recruit a new centre-forward, such as Erling Braut Haaland or Harry Kane, but the Argentine could certainly add a new creative dynamic to their frontline, whether he starts down the middle or on the flanks.
Understandably, comparisons have already been made between Alvarez and Aguero; however, the 21-year-old is not a like-for-like replacement for his compatriot. Alvarez has spent the majority of his River Plate career operating as a false nine or a shadow striker, regularly picking the ball up from deeper positions, in between the opposition's midfield and defence, and linking up with his fellow attackers in the final third.
As well as his goal-scoring credentials – netting 24 times across all tournaments in 2021 – Alvarez's playmaker abilities should also be commended, with the Argentine registering 15 assists. His prolific eye for goal and proficiency to link up with fellow teammates will be priceless in Guardiola's system, especially if he is to operate centrally as a false nine. The forward's relentless work rate when out of possession will also benefit the Spaniard's high-press tactics.
In addition, Alvarez made several appearances for River Plate as a winger, particularly on the right flank, and this could be a regular position for the Argentine should City recruit a big-money striker such as Haaland or Kane. Whichever tactics Guardiola decides to use, he will soon have a talented, versatile attacker on his books with qualities that are sure to benefit the Citizens going forward.
Alvarez is set to thrive playing alongside City's other attacking options, with the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez all competing for a place in Guardiola's starting lineup.
In midfield, Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will continue to dictate play from the right side of a midfield three, with either Ilkay Gundogan or in-form star Bernardo Silva working their magic alongside him, while Rodri is now preferred ahead of club captain Fernandinho to sit just in front of the back four.
Despite the renaissance of John Stones last season, Aymeric Laporte has won back his place at centre-back alongside warrior Ruben Dias, who both provide excellent cover for goalkeeper Ederson, while Joao Cancelo continues to impress at left-back in tandem with Kyle Walker on the opposite flank.
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