Manchester City are in the hunt for South American Footballer of the Year Julian Alvarez.
The Blues have, according to reports in Argentina, already made an offer for the 21-year-old River Plate star, who can play as a winger or striker and has already broken through into the full Argentina squad.
Alvarez is said to have a £16.75million release clause in his contract, but River want to keep him until summer.
But Alvarez is unlikely to be added to Pep Guardiola 's first-team squad if the Blues do win the race - with other top European clubs also in the chase.
He is likely to be loaned out to one of City's sister clubs in Europe, and is not seen as a potential replacement for Sergio Aguero just yet - any move would not affect their interest in a big-money move for Harry Kane or Erling Haaland in the summer.
But Alvares seems to be a talent on a fast track - Real Madrid tried to sign him after he scored five times for one of their junior sides in a trial period, but his age meant he could not go.
He made his River Plate debut at 18 and scored five goals in six Copa Libertadores games in 2020, and last year was called into the Argentina squad for the first of his five caps.
He has 34 goals in 95 games for River, including 20 in 35, plus 17 assists, as they won the Argentinian title last season.
That saw him finish as the top scorer in Argentina's Primera Division, and also saw him named as the best player in South America, following on from big names like Pele, Zico, Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Romario, Carlos Tevez, Neymar and Ronaldinho.
Last year he was being pursued by Fiorentina, Napoli, Atalanta and Nice, but his growing reputation has seen some of Europe's big guns take a stronger interest.
