Following Julian Alvarez’s performance against Croatia in the World Cup semifinals, where he scored two goals and won a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 win, it’s no surprise to see the Manchester City starlet being hailed in the football media.
It’s also time for clubs to wonder why they didn’t fight harder to sign him from River Plate, and in Barcelona’s case, their lack of effort is explained by Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo.
The outlet recalls that at the end of 2021, Barça had Alvarez’s name ‘on the table’, with the chance of buying him. However, back then, they were in a delicate situation with the recent arrival of Xavi and a need of big reinforcements in the squad.
Mundo Deportivo don’t directly talk about regret, claiming the Catalan side really needed a bigger guarantee at that time, but they make it clear the Argentine player could be somewhere else, especially because he claimed to be a Barcelona fan when he was a kid.
We all know that Europe’s big clubs all have big scouting networks watching young talents in South America and other places. So if everyone saw Alvarez’s potential and only Manchester City actually went for his signing, it’s only fair that Pep Guardiola’s side enjoy having him in their squad for the next few years.
