Official: Sunderland Sign Up Alvarez

Sunderland pulled off a coup today as they wrapped up the signing of Ricky Alvarez from Italian giants Inter Milan. Alvarez becomes Sunderland's ninth signing of the summer, after Costel Pantilimon, Billy Jones, Santiago Vergini, Patrick van Aanholt, Jack Rodwell, Jordi Gomez, Will Buckley and Sebastian Coates.

The 26-year-old initially joins on a one-year deal loan deal for a fee of around £800,000 and it has been reported that should Sunderland avoid relegation then we will be obligated to make the move permanent for £8.6m, with the attacking midfielder then signing a three-year deal with the club, though those details are yet to be confirmed by the club.

Although he regularly plays central midfield, a position where Gus Poyet would probably like to utilise him in, he can also play as a number 10 and as a wide striker but his regular position for us is likely to depend on what happens during the rest of the transfer window and whether or not we can get a certain unnamed Italian striker.

Sunderland beat off competition from Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and Atletico Madrid for the playmaker and now he has completed his move he will head off to join up with the Argentina squad to face Germany in Berlin on Wednesday, which you will be able to watch live on BT Sport 1.

Alvarez played 90 times for Inter Milan, with 14 goals and 18 assists and to date has eight caps for Argentina.