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Leeds United ready January bid to sign Penarol star Agustin Alvarez
Leeds United are lining up a January bid to sign Uruguay centre-forward Agustin Alvarez, according to La Republica.
The Uruguayan news outlet, writing in their Friday edition (10 December), claim the 20-year-old Penarol striker could be on the move in 2022, though his current club is likely to reject a £12.7million offer from Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg, should it come their way.
They wrote: “[Penarol] intends to keep the player [in respect of Zenit bid] , in addition to the fact that there are several stronger and more interesting probes for what both parties intend, such as Fiorentina of Italy and Leeds United. Both clubs could bid but later when the European winter market begins after the first few months of the season.”
South America star
Alvarez has had quite the 2021 so far.
He helped Penarol win the Uruguayan Primera Division, breaking Nacional’s two year-stranglehold on the title.
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Alvarez was also the top scorer in the 2021 Copa Sudamericana, often considered as the second-most prestigious club competition in South America.
His form earned him a call-up to the senior Uruguay national team this year (August 2021), whom he made his debut for against Bolivia on 5 September.
He has made a further three appearances for his country as they aim to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
With Patrick Bamford currently injured after making the briefest of comebacks against Brentford last Sunday (5 December), Marcelo Bielsa is surely on the hunt for a new centre-forward in January.
Coming straight from Uruguay, Alvarez may be considered a risk, but on the evidence so far, it may be one worth taking as he rises to every challenge.
In other Leeds United news, Liverpool want to sign this Whites star as their January bid stance is shared.