Manchester City have signed the River Plate forward Julián Álvarez on a deal until 2027, paying an initial £14m for the Argentina international. The 22-year-old will continue on loan at the Argentinian club until at least July.

The highly sought-after Álvarez has five caps and the City director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: “Julián is a player we have monitored for some time. He is capable of operating in a number of attacking roles, and we firmly believe he’s one of the best young attacking players in South America.

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“I am so happy we have managed to bring him to Manchester City. I really believe we can provide him with the right conditions to fulfil his potential and become a top player.”

Álvarez has been with River since 2015, made his debut in October 2018 and has scored 36 goals in 96 first-team appearances. He got his senior international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Chile in June last year, replacing Ángel Di María after an hour, and was part of the squad that won the Copa América in July.