The City striker has made an immediate impact since his arrival earlier this summer.
Julian Alvarez has revealed the origin story behind his ‘Little Spider’ nickname.
The former River Plate star has started his European career at the highest level by joining Manchester City. However, he has a nickname that reminds him of when he was just another Argentine kid with a big dream.
“It was a very small village and we always played together ever since I was very young,” Alvarez told Sky Sports.
“We shared the same group of friends. We would all meet up on a small pitch that we had in the village and spent many, many hours just playing football together.”
Speaking about his ‘El Aranita’ nickname, the 22-year-old added: “It was just something that came to me when I was a little kid, no older than four, playing football with my brothers.
“One day, my brother said, ‘Look at him, like a little spider.’ It just stuck and when you get older you don’t give it up. I like it, it is a great name.”
Alvarez is in competition with Erling Haaland for a place in Pep Guardiola’s lineup. The Norwegian striker is yet to fully integrate into City’s system, but Alvarez says he enjoys learning from his new teammate.
“He is a big player, a great player. I have seen him a lot, scoring goals throughout Europe,” Alvarez added.
“It is very good for a young player like me to play with the best so you can learn. It is a good position to be in. Whoever I am paired with, the important thing is that City win.”
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