Julian Alvarez won't make headlines every week for his goals, Manchester City have been warned.
Alvarez signed for City for £14.1m in January and will remain at River Plate until July. He scored his first goals since the high-profile transfer this week as River beat Patronato in the Argentine League Cup, netting a brilliant hat-trick that has excited City fans looking at footage of the goals.
First, Alvarez controlled a tricky cross before heading the bouncing ball past the goalkeeper, before he unleashed a finish that Sergio Aguero would be proud of, firing high into the roof of the net from a tight angle with a powerful first-time finish. His hat-trick goal was a smart finish into the bottom corner after being sent into the area behind the last defender.
It was the first real sign City fans had of Alvarez since the transfer was confirmed, and his sharp finishing certainly caught the eye as Blues started to imagine his qualities in their team next season.
However, his River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo says expectations must be managed of Alvarez, who won't go scoring hat-tricks every week.
“He has not changed beyond the fact that strong things have happened to him in recent times," Gallardo said when asked how the transfer to City has impacted Alvarez.
"He is a player who had finished at a great level last year and this year one of the best teams in the world has taken notice of him, so it is logical that the head of a 21-year-old boy can be given the space to disperse, but since he is a very situated and balanced boy, I am not worried about his behaviour and today he showed it.
"It was normal that if he didn't score a goal, as happened last weekend, things would be said like how he was going to assimilate all that, but inside we know what is going to happen, we know that not every game is going to score three goals and maybe not even one, but we have to be balanced.
"Julian is fine, we know him and while he's here he's going to do things like today and when he doesn't do them it will be because they don't work out for him or because the team doesn't work, but not because he doesn't feel like it”.
Reflecting on Alvarez's development that has seen him become River's star striker and now a Manchester City player, Gallardo said: “Julian went through a long process to be a complete player.
"He grew up playing in different attacking positions, he is a player who assimilates concepts quickly and when the opportunity arose due to the departure of important players, he made merits to stay with the position he has.
"Today he is a striker who is functional to our team, but he also makes his own plays, that's why he is such an interesting player for us and for the world, and it was appealing for this market, so much so that City took him. We have and are enjoying their present.”
