The transformation of Julián Álvarez: from a shy boy who arrived from Calchín to an absolute star who goes to Manchester City

It will also be the match this Wednesday evening at Monumental between River and Vélez, as well as defining which of the two Argentine teams will access the quarter-finals of Copa Libertadores the last function of Julián Álvarez with the red band. The cordovan striker will bring his talent and goals to the Premier League and leave a huge gap in Marcelo Gallardo’s team.

Álvarez’s departure comes almost a year after he was champion with the Argentine national team in Copa América. And it is not accidental to mention this situation. It is that, with the medal hanging after the conquest of Lionel Scaloni’s team at the Maracana, Julián had the turning point he had already hinted that it could happen at any moment.

Brought gradually by Marcelo Gallardo, and after the return of his participation in the national team, Álvarez exploded. El Muñeco made it a firm spot in the headlines and Calchín’s son became the young wonder. With an excellent game and a pure goal, the “Spider” has become the amount of the local title that River won last year.

As Spiderman, Álvarez hasn’t stopped throwing webs. And so they scored goals, one after the other until reaching 54 goals and being only one behind Rafael Borré. So, in his last game, Julián has a chance to become the top scorer of the Gallardo cycle if he scores two goals.

Of course, it won’t be easy. But Álvarez knows what it means to score more than one goal in a match. Indeed, in the current edition of the Copa Libertadores he made six in Alianza Lima. Everything is possible with Julián, who in becoming has sealed his name with fire the first footballer in the history of the Núñez club to score that figure in a match. In addition, in the same match he once scored four goals (against Patronato, last year) and three hat-tricks (against San Lorenzo, Patronato and Sarmiento).

So it was in his short but exuberant career, which promises new great achievements like those achieved so far. At 18, after having been sparring partner with the national team at the World Cup in Russia, he made his debut in the Primera de River. And soon, entered to play the Copa Libertadores final at the Santiago Bernabéu against Boca.

Álvarez was American champion in Madrid, won the Copa América with the national team, made the Olympic round at Monumental, played alongside Messi and is a figure at the River de Gallardo. He is a boy who makes dream after dream come true. The ones he began to imagine when he sneaked among the biggest in the streets of Calchín and couldn’t take the ball away from him. This is where the nickname “Spider” was born, which later became “Spider”.

In late 2015, Julián auditioned for River, after being observed by recruiter Alfredo Alonso, who was working at Argentinos Juniors at the time. But as there was no place in the La Paternal club boarding house, Alonso, who had worked at the Núñez club, called Gabriel Rodríguez, who hired Gallardo in the late 1980s, and they gave him a test. Within a week, Álvarez was already a River e player entered seventh place in 2016.

Born on January 31, 2000, Álvarez is one of the new generation of footballers. During training on Monday – the last one at the Ezeiza stadium – the fans – who will also applaud him this Wednesday at the Monumental – lined up to greet him. And he went out to greet them and return their affection. He is already an idol among the youngest, who see him as a superhero.

And with the cloak on his shoulders and the desire to make history, Julián will bring his talent to Manchester City to be managed by Pep Guardiola. But before him he has a last date with his lifelong love, which he will try to help out of the crisis he finds himself in on a Cup night. For that jersey for which he gave everything until the end and for which he never took his leg out, despite knowing for five months that his future is in the Premier League.