Agustín Álvarez finds the net again at Talleres after four years in Europe that didn't go as planned

A brilliant goal in the win over Unión, a spot among the standbys on Diego Forlán's list, and a line that sums up four years of ups and downs: "things in Europe didn't go the way I expected." Agustín Álvarez Martínez, known as "El Canario," spoke to the press again, this time with the calm of a player who's starting to rediscover his scoring touch.

The Talleres forward was decisive in his team's win over Unión in matchday nine of the 2026 Clausura Tournament, scoring a goal that will rank among the best of the season for the Córdoba club. It's no coincidence: El Canario had already shown he arrived hungry for goals, making that clear from his debut in the Talleres jersey, when he scored against Rosario Central.

After the match against Unión, the Uruguayan forward reflected on his current form in comments to ESPN and made sure to thank his teammates. "I'm very happy. Thanks to my teammates, whose effort gave me more chances, and luckily I was able to score and set up a goal. This is for all these people who have deserved it for a long time and, even though results haven't been coming, they've kept backing us," he said.

Four years in Europe that didn't go as planned

Álvarez Martínez arrived on the continent with a reputation as a goal scorer. After being Peñarol's top offensive threat and the top scorer of the 2021 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, he signed a five-year deal with Italy's Sassuolo in July 2022. The move seemed natural for a forward born in San Bautista in 2001 who had been in outstanding form back in Uruguay.

But European soccer wasn't easy. He went on loan to Sampdoria in 2024, then played the 2024/2025 season at Spain's Elche, and last season ended up at Italy's Monza. None of those stops allowed him to establish himself as the scorer he'd been at Peñarol, and by late June his return to South America, with Talleres as his new destination, was finalized.

Asked about that stretch of his career, the forward was candid: "Obviously things in Europe didn't go the way I expected. I think I'm a better player today for a lot of reasons, I see the game differently now, and I'm coming to Talleres to help out wherever I'm needed, trying to get back to my level, but above all to bring good soccer and joy to these people who deserve it."

National team hopes, without losing focus

El Canario's name appeared among the 46 players on the reserve list named by Marcelo Bielsa (through Diego Forlán, according to the original report) for the Uruguayan national team, which stirred excitement among Uruguayan fans. The forward already has six caps for the sky blue jersey: four in 2021 under Óscar Tabárez, and two more in 2025 under Bielsa. His debut was one to remember: he scored in a 4-2 rout of Bolivia in World Cup qualifying for Qatar 2022, at the Campeón del Siglo stadium.

Even with that history behind him, he preferred to stay grounded. "I'm focused game by game at Talleres. Of course I thought about Uruguay, it's always great to represent the national team. But I'm thinking about the day to day and the next match," the 25-year-old forward said.

With a goal and an assist against Unión, El Canario is starting to show in Córdoba the form that once made him a continental top scorer with Peñarol. Talleres needs those goals, and he, it seems, needs this fresh start to get back to his best.