Man Utd join race for River Plate striker Julian Alvarez

Manchester United are the latest side to throw their hat in the ring to sign River Plate starlet Julian Alvarez.

The 21-year-old is quietly emerging as one of the most in-demand players in world football, having racked up 18 goals and seven assists in just 21 league games for River this year - form which earned him a spot in the Argentina national team.

Real Madrid, Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Bayer Leverkusen have all been linked with Alvarez so far, while Barcelona joined the fun not too long ago, and now United have expressed an interest in the striker.

That's according to Ole, who state that Alvarez's entourage have received calls from United, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, with his €20m release clause proving too tempting for the big teams to pass up on.

United's interest was later backed up by reliable River journalist Sebastian Srur, who went as far as to suggest that the Red Devils could speed up negotiations with the 21-year-old in the coming weeks.

Finding a new striker for the future is one of United's top priorities these days. With Cristiano Ronaldo now 36 years old, those in charge at Old Trafford are keen to prepare themselves for his eventual departure.

Mason Greenwood has long been identified as the club's future frontman, with some even believing he should have the honour now, but United continue to be linked with a whole host of new forwards.

Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland is high on their wish list - as is the case with nearly every top side on the planet - but it appears as though Alvarez has played his way on to their radar as well.

Alvarez is believed to be interested in a move to Europe as he hopes it will boost his chances of making Argentina's squad for the 2022 World Cup, but River are trying to convince him to stay by assuring him that he will get the most playing time by remaining at home.

"We seek to transfer a player when he reached his ceiling, a moment that is good for him and the club. And we believe that Julian still has not arrived at his," River president Jorge Brito said.

Alvarez remains under contract until December 2022, but his potential options are clear. He will either leave for €20m in the next six months, or he will sign an extension.