Manchester City have signed the River Plate forward Julián Álvarez on a deal until 2027, paying an initial £14m for the Argentina international. The 22-year-old will continue on loan at the Argentinian club until at least July.

The highly sought-after Álvarez has five caps and the City director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: “Julián is a player we have monitored for some time. He is capable of operating in a number of attacking roles, and we firmly believe he’s one of the best young attacking players in South America.

“I am so happy we have managed to bring him to Manchester City. I really believe we can provide him with the right conditions to fulfil his potential and become a top player.”

Álvarez has been with River since 2015, made his debut in October 2018 and has scored 36 goals in 96 first-team appearances. He got his senior international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Chile in June last year, replacing Ángel Di María after an hour, and was part of the squad that won the Copa América in July. - Guardian