LITTLE SPIDER

The meteoric rise of Manchester City and Argentina star Julián Álvarez in the past 12 months has been something to behold

- Dylan Appolis

From the streets of Calchin to winning the World Cup with Argentina, Julián Álvarez's journey has been nothing short of impressive.

Álvarez was snapped up by Premier League champions Manchester City in January 2022 after completing a £14-million transfer from the Argentine club River Plate.

After penning a five-and-a-half-year contract, he was subsequently loaned back to the Argentine Primera División outfit until July of last year.

During his time playing at River Plate, Álvarez managed to score 54 goals and contribute 31 assists in 122 appearances across all competitions.

But his most notable performance for the Argentine club came when he broke a 121-year-old River Plate record by claiming a six-goal haul in their 8-1 victory over Allianz Lima in the Copa Libertadores in May 2022.

"He is capable of operating in a number of attacking roles, and we firmly believe that he's one of the best young attacking players in South America," said Man City's director of football Txiki Begiristain.

"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."

Upon arriving at City from his loan stint, Álvarez hit the ground running and bagged a goal on his competitive debut in the 3-1 loss to rivals Liverpool in the Community Shield at the start of this campaign!