Chelsea and Manchester United have been warned that pursuing a deal for Julian Alvarez won’t help them of their bid to catch Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Alvarez has spent the last two seasons at Atletico Madrid after joining from Manchester City for £82million, but has been strongly linked with a return to England ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal and Chelsea have each been heavily linked with moves for Alvarez, who won the league twice with City, while the most recent reports in Spain suggest that United are also keen on the Argentine.
Despite a comparatively goal-shy yr in Diego Simeone’s side, it is claimed that Atletico will demand in excess of €100million (£86m) for any club seeking to prise Alvarez away from the Spanish capital.
Nevertheless, former Premier League midfielder Andy Townsend will not be convinced that spending that type of money on the 26-year-old is the type of signing that can help Chelsea and United close the gap on the present league leaders.
‘I like Julian Alvarez and I do know he’s scored goals at Atletico Madrid but I’ve never quite seen him as someone who would make the difference for anybody else at the highest of the Premier League to essentially kick on and go and grab the league out of Arsenal’s hands,’ he told Boyle Sports.
‘He’s clearly a clever footballer. He’s a great finisher. He had that good knack for coming on and making the difference for City.
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‘But I don’t know if he’s got enough to are available in and play because the starting striker within the Premier League and be the difference for a few of those teams attempting to close the door on Arsenal. I don’t quite see that.’
Nevertheless, Townsend did concede that an absence of world-class strikers out there may force clubs to pay over the chances for a player like Alvarez somewhat than take a risk on developing a younger attacker.
‘So many individuals are all the time in search of that individual. Who’s going to are available in and do what Harry Kane has done at Bayern Munich or what Erling Haaland does for City?’ he added.
‘There aren’t many on the market, you already know. Return to my era and we could have had an hour on the most effective strikers in world football but they’re just not on the market now because only a few players can play the way in which Haaland does where he doesn’t get so involved in the overall play.
‘Only a few can play like that, not be involved and still get those devastating numbers that he does. Serie A used to all the time have a glut of top class strikers but they’re not there anymore in Italy.
‘Kylian Mbappe is spoken for but I still query when we’re going to see him at his best in a Real Madrid shirt because I don’t think he’s been anywhere near his top level for them yet, even with the numbers he’s got. He’s still probably the final word number nine of the fashionable game.
‘I feel there are very, only a few on the market that might tempt you to spend over £100 million and possibly that’s why there may be a lot speak about Julien Alvarez.
‘He might get a gig somewhere because if you actually sit and analyse it, you’ve either got to go and pay over the chances for Alarez or spend numerous money on a big gamble you hope you may become the actual deal.’
Speaking in December last yr concerning the speculation surrounding his future at Atletico, Alvarez said: ‘Look, it doesn’t trouble me. I try to not pay much attention, but I do know what’s being said.
‘It’s throughout social media. I feel it’s more what’s being said online than what’s actually happening.
‘I’m very focused on this season, on what lies ahead with Atletico Madrid. So, I attempt to tune it out and take into consideration myself, about continuing to grow as a player, and about winning.’
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