Julian

Alvarez

Argentine wonderkid...

Julian Alvarez joined City on his 22nd birthday.

The Argentinian forward had already collected five senior international caps for his country before signing his five-and-a-half-year deal in January 2022.

He remained with River Plate on loan until the summer of 2022 before moving to Manchester. 

Álvarez made his senior River Plate debut in October 2018 and instantly forged a reputation as one of the best young forwards in Argentina.

He managed 54 goals and 31 assists in 122 River Plate appearances  – including a strike in their 4-0 win over Racing in November, a result that sealed the Argentine league title.

Álvarez made his senior international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Chile in June 2021, replacing Angel Di Maria with an hour gone, and was part of the squad that won the Copa America in July.

Since linking up with the City squad in the summer of 2022, Julian has made a fine start to his Etihad career, impressing fans with his predatory instinct in front of goal along with his awareness and vision.

At 22 years old, he was part of the successful Argentina squad which tasted glory at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

Alvarez enjoyed a superb tournament, scoring four goals in total, including a brace in the semi-final against Croatia.

He then started in the final to help his country be crowned world champions for a third time as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 draw over 120 minutes.

In March 2023, the electric attacker signed a new contract, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2028.

And his hard work in his debut season with City was rewarded with his first Premier League trophy. 

And not only that, he secured his first FA Cup trophy after City overcame Manchester United in the final followed by the Champions League trophy with our 1-0 win over Inter a week later.

With his 17 goals and five assists in 49 appearances for City in the 2022/23 season, it would come as no surprise if Alvarez surpasses those figures next season. 

At the beginning of the 2023/24 season, Alvarez was part of City’s Super Cup winning team, featuring as a substitute and scored his spot kick in our penalty shoot-out win over Sevilla in Athens. 

Alvarez completed an amazing calendar year by scoring twice in the FIFA Club World Cup final win over Fluminense, as well as an assist.