Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed how Manchester United struggled to complete the signing of former River Plate striker Julian Alvarez before the Argentine’s move to Manchester City.
The 22-year-old joined City in January for an estimated fee of 14 million pounds. He agreed to a five-and-a-half-year contract until the summer of 2027.
However, Alvarez did not appear for the Citizens during the first six months of his contract. As part of the deal, the club agreed to loan the 21-year-old striker back to River until July. As of now, Alvarez has two Premier League goals since joining the Etihad Stadium. Both the goals came in the 6-0 win over Nottingham Forest in August.
In the absence of Erling Haaland, the Argentine started up front in City’s 1-0 win over Leicester on Saturday, but he did not score. And Romano has explained how, had things gone differently, Alvarez might not be a City player right now.
The journalists discussed the list of transfer targets given to United chiefs by former interim boss Ralf Rangnick ahead of the January and summer transfer windows on The United Stand’s YouTube channel.
Rangnick told German outlet BILD last week that he had a shortlist of six targets, including Haaland, Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig, and ex-Porto and current Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.
Alvarez has previously been reported as being on United’s shortlist. And Romano has revealed how close the Red Devils and Rangnick were to signing him.
“I think also, for Luis Diaz, it was impossible to compete with Liverpool because of Champions League football. I think the only one where they had the real possibility to sign a player, with Ralf Rangnick, is Julian Alvarez.
Because Julian Alvarez was a player that Ralf Rangnick really wanted. But United decided not to proceed, and he joined Manchester City. That was a real possibility for United, but they decided for a different kind of strategy,”
he said.
