Aston Villa may have missed a trick over one of the brightest talents at the World Cup back in the summer of 2021.

Villa were linked with a move for Argentine sensation Julian Alvarez and even offered River Plate €10m (£8.5m), but this was deemed far too low an offer and no move to Villa Park ever materialised.

Last January, Manchester City announced that they had signed Alvarez for a fee of £14m and sent him back on loan to River Plate until the summer, when he then came to the Premier League.

The move has proved to be a masterstroke, especially with his heroics at the World Cup, helping Argentina to reach the final.

In Qatar, Alvarez has scored four times in six matches while also managing 1.2 shots on target per game. His goal tally might have been even higher had he not missed a further two big chances and Man City signed him at the right time, as his valuation will surely skyrocket following this tournament.

His performance against Croatia in midweek was particularly pleasing as he received a Sofascore rating of 8.5/10, which was the highest of both teams.

He scored twice, won a penalty and generally caused mayhem in the opposition penalty area in the semi-final, and his partnership with Lionel Messi was a sheer joy to watch.

He is in with an excellent chance of winning the Golden Boot award and could become the first Argentine to win the prize since Mario Kempes in 1978, when Argentina won the World Cup for the first time.

Journalist Mimi Fawaz described the duo of Alvarez and Messi as “magnificent” following the win over Croatia, and if the two are in a similar sort of mood against France on Sunday, it could be a long 90 minutes for the holders' defence.

The 22-year-old's performances at the global tournament have helped to elevate his status, even though he was in good form heading into the World Cup, having scored three league goals at Man City.

With Villa’s strikers scoring just nine goals between them all season, missing out on Alvarez is looking like a major mistake, especially with a lack of depth in their attacking department.