Julian Alvarez will wear the No. 19 shirt at Manchester City.

The 22-year-old signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Club in January but remained at River Plate on loan.

He will arrive in Manchester this weekend and will join Pep Guardiola’s squad for pre-season ahead of City’s 2022/23 campaign.

BUY YOUR ALVAREZ 19 SHIRT NOW 

The Argentine attacker, who has previously worn the No. 9 shirt at River Plate and for the Argentina national team, says the number 19 holds special significance.

“I have been using the number nine until now and I wanted the number nine to be on my shirt,” he told mancity.com. “And it is also an important date, because the 19th was my grandmother’s birthday.”

Since making his senior debut in 2018, he has scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for River Plate and played nine times for his country. He was named the 2021 South American Footballer of the Year.

Alvarez will follow in the footsteps of Premier League winners Joleon Lescott, Samir Nasri and Leroy Sane in wearing the No. 19 for the Club.

Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez, and Stefan Ortega Moreno will all be introduced to City fans at a special event this Sunday 10 July. Find out how you can meet our new signings or follow live on our official channels.