Former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez will lead the line alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina in Wednesday's semi-final against England
Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez could be on the move in the summer transfer window
Julian Alvarez is expected to feature for Argentina against England in the World Cup semi-final(Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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All eyes will be on Lionel Messi when Argentina clash with arch-rivals England on Wednesday evening for a place in the World Cup final. The semi-final match will be the first time the legendary forward has faced the Three Lions in his illustrious career.
But Thomas Tuchel’s side would be wise not to overlook another man well known to Premier League supporters. Former Manchester City star Julian Alvarez is expected to partner Messi in attack after playing a pivotal role in Argentina’s run to the last four, including scoring a stunning extra-time strike against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
The 26-year-old spent two seasons at the Etihad before completing an £81million move to La Liga side Atletico Madrid, where he has cemented his reputation as one of the world’s leading attackers. Nicknamed ‘La Araña’ (‘the Spider’) for his trademark web-shooting goal celebration, Alvarez will be hoping to haunt an England defence that could feature former team-mate John Stones.
Ahead of kick-off, the Manchester Evening News takes a closer look at the Argentine striker hoping to break English hearts.
Stunning wag in the stand
When Alvarez walks out onto the pitch in Atlanta, he will do so with long-term girlfriend Emilia Ferrero cheering him on from the stands. The 26-year-old, a former hockey player and PE teacher, was born in Calchin – the same small Argentine town as Alvarez.
Julian Alvarez and Emlia Ferrero
Julian Alvarez and Emlia Ferrero started dating in 2020
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The couple are understood to have started dating in 2020 but kept their romance under wraps until 2022, shortly after Alvarez completed his move from boyhood club River Plate to City.
Unlike many other WAGs, Ferrero has largely shunned the spotlight. Nevertheless, she has amassed more than 780,000 followers on Instagram – a figure that has risen sharply during this summer’s World Cup.
Earlier this year, the couple welcomed their first child together, a son named Amadeo, who was born on January 2. Baby Amadeo has also travelled to North America and has been among those cheering Alvarez on inside the ground.
Emilia Ferrero
The 26-year-old has caught the eye of fans at this summer's World Cup(Image: Instagram / emiliafferrero)
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Eye-watering release clause
Given his impressive form for both club and country, it is little surprise that Alvarez is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Premier League champions Arsenal are understood to be long-term admirers, with Mikel Arteta eager to bolster his attacking options ahead of the new season.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are also fans of his, with the latter understood to be Alvarez’s preferred next destination if he decides to move on. However, any potential suitors face a sizeable obstacle in their pursuit – his enormous release clause.
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According to reports, Alvarez has an astonishing €500m (£430m) release clause written into his contract. That means any club hoping to prise him away from Atletico Madrid may well have to pay well over double the current world-record transfer fee, set by Neymar’s £200m move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Real reason for leaving City
Alvarez is no stranger to big-money moves. When he left City in 2024, he did so for a record-breaking £81m fee – the largest sale in the club’s history.
Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez lifted the Champions League during his two-year spell with Manchester City(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
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The move raised eyebrows at the time, given City’s dominance in the Premier League while Atletico Madrid were still trying to close the gap on Spain’s traditional heavyweights. But Alvarez later revealed that he was simply desperate for a fresh challenge.
“I played loads of matches, scored plenty of goals, and we won titles,” he told Infobae. “That was perfect. And if I’d stayed there, I’d have been comfortable too. I’ve always said I’m very grateful to the club, but I did need something.
“Something inside me was telling me I needed a different challenge, to seek something new – not a lack of motivation, because I’ll always want to keep striving for more – but something I can’t quite put my finger on.
“And I felt that this could be the place for me to develop further, to become the best version of myself as a footballer. So that was part of the reason.”