Manchester City Battling to Hold on to Julian Alvarez
Manchester City Battling to Hold on to Julian Alvarez
After two amazing years at Manchester City winning back-to-back Premier League titles, the Champions League and the World Cup, Julian Alvarez is already one of the most decorated football players in the world.
The Argentina international moved to Manchester City in 2022 from boyhood club River Plate amidst high expectations. So far, he has not disappointed. In fact, despite being considered a backup to Erling Haaland, the 24-year-old has held his own.
With 11 goals and nine assists in 35 Premier League starts and five goals in seven Champions League appearances last season, his potential to lead the line for any top team is clear. No wonder then, that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are reported to be interested in the player.
Striker Robert Lewandowski is attracting attention from Saudi Arabia and could be lured away by a big money offer. That will leave Barcelona in need of a striker to replace the Polish international and Alvarez has been identified as the man that could fill the void.
Paris Saint-Germain on the other hand also have a void to fill. The departure of star forward Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid has left the French giants heavily short-handed up front. Alvarez is seen as a good option to replace the Frenchman.
Reports say Manchester City are not interested in any deal as the club has no intention of selling the player. But the presence of Haaland means Alvarez will continue to play a support role as far as he plays upfront.
The Argentine international saw much game time last season as a result of Kevin De Bruyne’s long injury layoff. This allowed him to play with Haaland or behind the striker many times. But he saw less game-time towards the end of the campaign as the Belgian returned to help City win another league title.
Going into the new campaign, unless De Bruyne chooses to leave, Alvarez may consider his options in search of regular playing time. If the 24-year-old decides he wants to move elsewhere, that will put City in a difficult position.
Even if De Bruyne leaves, regular game time is still not guaranteed for Alvarez as Haaland plays in his primary position and the wings are already covered. So the temptation to explore a new challenge elsewhere will be strong. City face a fight to keep the player next season as a serious bid from any of the top European sides for the player could see him push for a move to pastures anew.