Report: Aston Villa to make £8.5m bid for Copa America star; player’s agent is already in England

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Aston Villa are reportedly preparing a €10m (£8.5m) bid for River Plate youngster and Argentina international Julian Alvarez.

According to TNT Sports, the Premier League side will submit an offer for the 20-year-old Copa America star. As per the report, Alvarez’s agent is already in England to work on a deal with Villa.

The 21-year-old right-sided winger is one of the most exciting prospects coming out of Argentina this year.

Alvarez could be an exciting signing for Aston Villa

Last season alone, Alvarez scored four goals and assisted seven in all competitions for River. The youngster also featured heavily in the Copa Libertadores.

Villa are keen to add to their creative ranks this summer. Dean Smith’s side have already added fellow Argentine Emi Buendia to the squad in a club-record transfer from Norwich City.

Villa also remain keen on signing Emile Smith Rowe this summer.

Indeed, with the Arsenal youngster set to sign a new five-year deal with the Gunners as reported by CBS Soccer’s James Benge, Villa could be changing tact as to who they want to add this summer after Buendia.

Brexit could make signing Alvarez easier

And Alvarez could be an exciting option for Villa and the Premier League as a whole with youthful signings from South America likely to become a trend for top English sides.

With Brexit making the signing of young European players more difficult, the Birmingham-based club are seemingly taking advantage of a new points-based system that makes signing full internationals from outside the EU much easier than before.

Indeed, Alvarez would fall into this bracket given he has featured for Argentina in this summer’s Copa America. And with River looking for a price tag of around £8.5m, the youngster could be a much cheaper alternative to Villa than breaking the bank to sign Smith Rowe.