In a recent report, Calciomercato claimed that Aston Villa are among several clubs hoping to sign Julian Alvarez. It is understood that the Villans could face competition in the form of AFC Ajax and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in pursuit of the Argentine forward.
Alvarez’s Impressive Numbers In Argentine Football
Alvarez is a product of River Plate’s academy and has done well to establish himself as a top performer at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti. The Calchin-born centre-forward participated in 86 matches for the Argentine club last season, netting 26 goals and providing 21 assists in the process across all fronts.
The 21-year-old has been a consistent performer back in his homeland as he is averaging 3.0 shots, 1.6 key passes, 0.9 crosses and 2.0 dribbles per game in the Liga Profesional. However, Alvarez needs to work on improving his accuracy when distributing the ball in the final third, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 70.1% in league football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Alvarez The Right Choice For Aston Villa?
Alvarez is a quick and agile forward who packs a lot of power with his shots at goal. He can make some intelligent runs with the ball in the final third and can even set up a few inviting openings for his teammates in front of the opponent’s goal.
The Argentine sensation has added plenty of goals and assists to his name which has raised his stock in South American football. Therefore, Aston Villa should think about stepping up their efforts to acquire the services of the River Plate youngster next year.
Dean Smith can expect Alvarez to inject a lot of quality into his attacking department. Plus, the Argentine talent has what it takes to rival Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins for a regular starting spot at Villa Park in the coming seasons. At 21, Alvarez will only get better with each season, so he will be a decent choice for the Villans to pursue in the not-too-distant future.
Having said that, only time will tell whether the River Plate whizkid can maintain his high standards at the West Midlands club as he might initially struggle to cope with the physical nature of English football.
