- Julian Alvarez leaves Man City for Atletico Madrid for £81m
- City were keen to keep Alvarez but the Argentine wanted more playing time
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Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez arrives in Madrid on Sunday to sign a five-year contract and complete his £81million move to Atletico Madrid tomorrow.
Alvarez, 24, will join the Spanish giants after two and a half years, following his £14million move from River Plate to City, in a move that could see Pep Guardiola’s side benefit greatly from the Argentine.
Atlético have agreed a deal worth an initial €75m (£64m), but the striker’s fee could rise to €95m (£81m) with performance-related bonuses.
His time at the Etihad Stadium was a very successful one, with Alvarez winning six trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League title. He also won the World Cup and the Copa America with Argentina during that time.
The forward has scored 36 goals and provided 18 assists in 103 games for City. Although the English champions are keen to keep the forward, it is believed Alvarez is motivated by a move to extend his playing time.
Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez arrives in Madrid on Sunday to sign a five-year contract and complete his £81million move to Atletico Madrid tomorrow.
Alvarez has had a successful spell at City, winning six trophies in just over two years
Atlético manager Diego Simeone is one of Alvarez’s biggest admirers, but the 24-year-old has previously attracted interest from a number of top clubs, including Premier League rivals Chelsea.
But Atlético’s interest increased earlier this week, with the club even considering the possibility of bringing in Joao Felix as a counter-striker in a bid to complete the transfer.
Mail Sport reported on Monday that Felix may have been offered to Pep Guardiola’s side on loan with an option to buy.
City had previously shown interest in the Portuguese forward, even before he joined Chelsea on loan in 2023.
Although Alvarez finished the season as one of City’s players with the most minutes played, the player was open about his desire to be involved in important matches.
‘Last season I was one of the players with the most minutes at City. But… at the end of the day you don’t like being left out of important games; you want to contribute,’ he said earlier this summer.
“I’m taking time to think about what I want for myself. We’ll see after the Games. First, if I can, I’ll take a few days off. Then we’ll decide.”
Alvarez also won both the Copa America and the World Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium
Pep Guardiola insisted City would take their time to spend the funds raised from the Alvarez sale
Meanwhile, ahead of their Community Shield victory over Manchester United, Guardiola said they would not rush into signing a new midfielder with the money raised from the sale of Alvarez.
“Yes, we will see,” Guardiola said. “If we need someone, we have to buy the price. [has to be right] otherwise it’s no use.
‘We will see the opportunities at the end of the market, when for example a club has to sell more than now, so I don’t know.
‘Maybe a controlling midfielder who can defend centrally or a central defender who can play in Rodri’s position.’