Man City edging nearer to completing the transfer of River Plate striker Julian Alvarez

Manchester City are optimistic that they will wrap up a deal for River Plate forward Julian Alvarez soon, according to reports.

The 21-year-old is out of contract at his current club at the end of 2022, and appears to be edging nearer to a big-money move to Europe.

It was recently claimed that City had agreed a fee with River Plate for the exciting prospect, which would see him join the Premier League outfit in the summer.

Alvarez would give Pep Guardiola another option in the final third of the pitch next season

Following on from this, it is now understood that the transfer could be wrapped up in the near future, as reported by BBC Sport.

Alvarez is coming off the back of his best goalscoring season to date in 2021.

The young attacker scored 18 league goals in 21 appearances last year as River Plate won the Argentine domestic title at a canter.

His performances at club level earned him international recognition as he made his Argentina debut last June.

Alvarez played alongside Lionel Messi last summer as Argentina won the Copa America

He went on to make one substitute appearance for his country during their triumphant Copa America campaign, and has since picked up a further three caps, playing alongside global superstar Lionel Messi.

Pep Guardiola’s side have largely played without a recognised centre forward this term, and it appears to be working for them as they have opened up a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

However, adding Alvarez to their ranks, who is also capable of operating on the right wing, could provide the team with another dimension heading into the 2022/23 season.