Real Madrid keeping tabs on River Plate star Julian Alvarez

Real Madrid are closely tracking River Plate striker Julian Alvarez and could make a move for the 21-year-old if he keeps up the form he has shown so far this season.

Alvarez has scored 15 goals and provided six assists for River in 16 games to this point, and curiously he had a brief spell in Los Blancos' academy as a child.

"He spent a month in Madrid. He made such a difference playing here that they came to see him from everywhere," Claudio Gorgerino, the mayor of Calchin, Alvarez's hometown, told Infobae.

"He would overpower his opponents. He'd go left or right and get into the box."

Unfortunately for Alvarez, his young age meant that he could not stay at Real Madrid.

"You had to wait until you were 16. If the same regulations had been in place as when [Lionel] Messi arrived at Barcelona, Julian would have been a Real Madrid player," said Piero Foglia, a scout in Argentina.

Alvarez is already an international with the Argentina national team and was given some game time in this most recent international window, playing against both Uruguay and Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers.

Wearing the No.8 on his back, Alvarez replaced Angel Di Maria against the Selecao and played on the right wing, which is not his usual position, as he prefers playing as the striker.

Julian Alvarez transfer news

Julian Alvarez is the most wanted player in Argentine football right now, with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid all having made enquiries. Now, Real Madrid have joined the race for his signature.

Real Madrid's main target is Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, but they are keeping an eye out for any talented young strikers that could join in the short term.

Luka Jovic may depart Los Blancos in the January transfer window, while Mariano Diaz could follow next summer, so the club will need to look at the No.9 position regardless of whether Mbappe arrives or not.