Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli are the most recent team in contention to land highly-rated Argentinian sensation Julian Alvarez from River Plate. With Milan and Inter already on the chase for the 21-year-old forward, whose contract at the Estadio Monumental expires in December 2022, the race for him has only gotten hotter over the recent weeks and months.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has asked Alvarez’s agent Fernando Hidalgo for more information regarding the Argentine’s current stance. The report also mentions of Atalanta’s budding interest in Alvarez.
With Lorenzo Insigne’s move to MLS heavyweights Toronto FC sealed at the end of the season, and the respective futures of Hirving Lozano and Dries Mertens still up in the air, Spalletti could very well welcome Alvarez in his ranks – either this window or at the end of the Argentine league season .
The youngster has a release clause of €20m (according to transfermarkt) at River Plate and he expects to earn nothing less than €2m net per season – the wage he currently pockets in Buenos Aires.
Milan are touted to begin talks with Alvarez’s representative, with the player himself having stated his desire to play at San Siro. Inter are still behind their city-rivals in terms of effort put for the Argentine, who they want to sign in a move similar to Lautaro Martinez.
Alvarez has 18 assists and 24 goals for the Argentine giants last season, as his breakthrough season drew attention from various European clubs including Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Nice,