Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid celebrates
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has been linked with a summer move to Liverpool
Julian Alvarez could be the striking partner that Mohamed Salah needs to further improve Liverpool's dominant attack. Conversations regarding a move for ex-Manchester City striker Alvarez to Merseyside have erupted after his agent claimed that Liverpool were interested in signing the Argentinean star last year.
The 25-year-old has scored an impressive 23 goals this season for Atletico Madrid in all competitions. This is more than triple the tally of Liverpool's £85m striker Darwin Nunez.
Salah is arguably the best footballer in the world right now with the Egyptian having an astounding 27 goals in the Premier League alone. The following four top scorers for Liverpool sees Luiz Diaz with nine, Cody Gakpo with eight and strikers Nunez and Diogo Jota both with five each.
Although it’s hard to say Salah is having “issues” this season, the 32-year-old would likely prefer a reliable striker partner—someone he trusts to finish chances. So far this campaign, Nunez and Jota both look to have lost confidence in their goal-scoring ability.
The connection that Salah had with Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino is something that hasn't been replicated since the Brazilian left for Saudi Arabia. However, a move for Alvarez to Liverpool could reinstate a bond between a striker and Salah.
The Argentine is a proven, composed, and clinical striker. Since his 2021 season with River Plate, he has consistently scored at least 17 goals in every campaign. His presence in the box would ease the attacking burden on Salah.
Alvarez's intricate passing ability and intelligent link-up play would go hand-in-hand with Salah's smart movement and one-two passing sequences. Having another prevalent forward up front would also make it difficult for opponents to double-mark the Egyptian, freeing up space for the attackers.
The future vision with Alvarez at the club could also help Liverpool to convince Salah to stay at Anfield. The 32-year-old is the heart of Liverpool's attacking play; everything runs through him. Although Salah is still incredibly fit and healthy, he isn't getting any younger.
Salah is currently carrying the attack himself, a point which is proven through the Egyptian scoring 39% of Liverpool's Premier League goals. To help preserve the Liverpool No.11's peak performance, Alvarez could be brought in and reduce Salah's workload upfront.
Realistically, it's also important to prepare for a post-Salah era at Liverpool. The 25-year-old left Man City for Spain last summer and instantly made an impact under Diego Simeone. This means Arne Slot can feel confident that a player like Alvarez would need less of a 'settling in' period and would kick straight into action.