River Plate forward Julián Álvarez is the most wanted player in Argentine football, with various clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, and West Ham United expressing interest.
The 21-year-old holds all the power considering his contract expires next December, and it seems he’s ready to leverage it for a move to Europe when the January window opens in a few weeks.
According to Marca, the Argentine forward’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, already spoke with the South American giant regarding an extension. The report states that Álvarez will only extend his contract if River Plate can guarantee him the right to leave should an offer of €20-million come their way.
River Plate isn’t interested in selling their prized forward. However, Álvarez understands that playing in Europe can further increase his chances of being on the Argentina national team for next year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It will be interesting to see what happens as the January window opens in a couple of weeks and whether Álvarez can pressure River Plate into being open to a departure. Juventus continues to insert some youth into their forward group; meanwhile, Real Madrid is also in the process of overhauling their forward group.