An update has emerged regarding AC Milan's interest in River Plate forward and Aston Villa transfer target Julian Alvarez,

What's the talk?

According to TyC Sports, as transcribed by Marca, Alvarez is set to meet with the Italian giants this week to discuss a potential move to Serie A.

The report claims that Alvarez has a €25m (£21m) release clause in his River Plate contract and that Villa are also in the running to sign him, with the Premier League side willing to offer €17m (£14.5m) at this moment in time.

Upgrade on Trezeguet

Villa must act swiftly in order to seal a deal for Alvarez as this latest update shows that Milan are serious about their interest in the winger. Their meeting with the youngster this week would suggest that they are getting further down the line with a deal for him, so Villa must swoop now to avoid missing out on his signature, whether that means paying his £21m release clause or negotiating a better price.

If Johan Lange can get a move over the line for Alvarez, it could be a terrific piece of business by the Midlands club. Dean Smith has some fine attacking options at his disposal, but one player who struggled to find his form in the 2020/21 campaign was Trezeguet. The Egyptian averaged a direct goal contribution every 297 minutes for Villa in all competitions last season and produced just two goals and two assists in 22 games across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, ending the campaign with a knee injury.

Alvarez, on the other hand, averaged a goal or assist every 121 minutes for River Plate as he racked up four goals and 11 assists. The Argentine is also five years younger than Trezeguet and could have the potential to improve further, which means that the wing wizard could be an option for Villa in the short and long term.

Therefore, Alvarez must be brought in as an upgrade on Trezeguet as he has shown that he has the potential to score and assist goals at a greater rate than the 26-year-old. He could also arrive with no great expectation of hitting the ground running, as he would have the likes of Jack Grealish, Emi Buendia, Anwar El-Ghazi and Bertrand Traore as competition and mentors. This could give him time to settle in and adapt to English football, before then getting to work on becoming a key player at Villa Park.

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