Real Madrid 'go all out' for Man City star

Stuart Telford

• 4 May 2023 16:40 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid are perennially linked with a move for Manchester City star Erling Haaland, but his teammate Julian Alvarez is a more likely target according to reports in Spain.

Real came close to signing Haaland last summer, with the Spanish and European champions coming second on a point-scoring matrix he devised with his father Alfie - primarily because they had a world class No.9 on the books already in Karim Benzema.

But with Benzema turning 36 next season and Brazilian prodigy Endrick not arriving until the summer of 2024 when he is 18, Madrid are in the market for a striker in or around his prime now.

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Haaland remains an option, although he would likely cost a world-record fee - but it is precisely his presence at the Etihad that makes an Alvarez acquisition more possible.

Real Madrid 'all out' for Alvarez

"Real Madrid [will] go all out for Julian Alvarez," report Spanish transfer specialists Fichajes. "The club are looking for a talented young player who can lead the attack in the future and it seems they have found their target in Julian Alvarez.

"[Despite his long contract] Real do not give up easily, and are willing to do what is necessary to sign him."

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Alvarez has a contract with City that runs until June 2028, so the English champions are under no pressure to settle for anything less than the €35.3 million he is rated at by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm - unless he grows unhappy at the Eithad.

Alvarez has contributed eight goals and an assist as City have pulled to the top of the Premier League this season, but only nine of his 26 appearances have been starts, the 23-year-old largely watching on as Haaland has smashed the multiple scoring records.

For a player who scored four times as Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar in December, a position warming the bench at any club might not be deemed acceptable for any extended period.