Manchester City have reached an £82m deal with Atletico Madrid for the sale of Julian Alvarez, and according to multiple sources, Manchester City and Atletico have agreed on the final fee and structure of the payment. City will receive £64m to part with the Argentina international, with the remaining £18m in performance-based add-ons. Alvarez, 24, who made 31 Premier League starts for Manchester City last season, scoring 11 goals and providing nine assists, is understood to be keen to leave Manchester, however. His sale surprised fans as he cost Pep Guardiola so much last season.
He joined Manchester City from Argentinian side River Plate in 2022 for just £14m and has made 103 appearances at the Etihad, scoring 36 times and winning two Premier League titles. They won the FA Cup and the Champions League and Alvarez played the most minutes for Manchester City last season, but he expressed his disappointment at being left out of important games against Argentina in the Paris Olympics.
“He was one of the players who got the most minutes at Manchester City last season.” Alvarez said Manchester City’s rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are both interested in the player, but it was Atletico and Diego Simeone who won the race for his signature.
Guardiola said he couldn’t stand the sight of an unhappy player last season: “I think the players are happy here because the teams are treating them in the best possible way. But the players are here to play and enjoy the minutes. Normally, when they don’t play, they want to play. I completely understand. And they need to leave.” Manchester City will have to sign a new striker in the transfer window following Alvarez’s departure, with the Argentine effectively opting for both Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne at the Etihad. City will need to sign one, if not two players.