Barcelona are eyeing up a low-cost acquisition closer to their moves for Pedri and Ronald Araujo than Ousmane Dembele or Philippe Coutinho in this January market. They need to re-invent themselves, and the Blaugrana have identified 20-year-old Penarol forward Agustin Alvarez according to Mundo Deportivo.
Alvarez has just been crowned champion of Uruguay with Penarol, and has already piqued the interest of several other big clubs throughout Europe including Real Madrid. He’s played 70 games for Penarol’s first team and has scored 23 goals this season. He was the top scorer in the Copa Sudamericana with ten goals. His team made it to the semi-final of the competition.
Alvarez is expected to be gettable for a fee in the region of €12m, and it’s thought that he’d start off with Barcelona B to become accustomed to European football while simultaneously training with the first team. The price is cheap by the standards of today’s market, but it’s a considerable sum for Barcelona given their current state of poverty.
Another player in Uruguay Barcelona are keeping an eye on is Matias Arezo, who plays for River Plate de Montevideo. He’s just turned 19 and has contributed 16 goals and five assists this season, his first as a professional. It’s thought he’d cost €8 million. It’s Alvarez, however, who’s Barcelona’s priority. He’s already being compared to his compatriot Luis Suarez.
