Man City transfers: Arsenal and Chelsea target takes big step towards transfer exit after Pep Guardiola feud (original) (raw)

Julian Alvarez may be a step closer to leaving Manchester City as a European giant is reportedly set to enter into talks to sign the striker.

Alvarez swapped River Plate for Man City in January 2022 for a fee in the region of £14m and since then he has scored 36 goals and bagged 18 assists in 103 games.

However, for the vast majority of his spell at the Etihad, he has had to play second fiddle to prolific forward and teammate Erling Haaland.

While the Norwegian international has been the Premier League’s top scorer for the past two seasons, the 24-year-old has often been a substitute; with 62 of his total appearances coming as a starter.

Speculation over his future went into overdrive when the Argentina international, who is currently representing his country at the Paris Olympics, admitted he wanted time to reflect on his next move.

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He told DSports Radio: “I haven’t stopped to think about what I’m going to do. Last season I was one of the players who played the most minutes in the team. But it’s true: in the end, in some important games, it’s not pleasant to be left out.

“I will have time to consider my decision. I haven’t stopped to think things through calmly. Once the Olympic Games are over, I will take the time to reflect on what I want for myself.”

Guardiola makes blunt Alvarez statement

That prompted a fairly terse response from City manager, Pep Guardiola. When questioned about Alvarez’s future and whether the club would seek to find a replacement, he replied: “I don’t think about replacing. I knew he said he will think about it.

“Once he has finished thinking, his agent will call Txiki [Begiristain] and we will see what happens. I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too.

“We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games. I read he has to think about it, so okay think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do.”

Alvarez, whose contract with City runs until 2028, then defended his remarks, saying he “never said anything bad”. The forward added he is “happy” at City but these comments appear to not have gone down to well with Guardiola.

And history tells us that if a player gets on the wrong side of the Spaniard, they move on quickly. Joao Cancelo is a more recent example of that after a falling out with the ex-Barcelona boss.

Alvarez told TyC Sports: “I heard what Guardiola said. I don’t have much to say about it. I never said anything bad.

“I just said that I was going to think about it like I do every season to make an analysis of what happened last season, a projection of what may come. I always say that I am comfortable and happy at City, which is a great club. So I didn’t say anything bad.”

Alvarez wanted by French giants

Now, according to ESPN Argentina, Paris Saint-Germain and City are to begin concrete talks on a possible Alvarez transfer next week.

There have been conflicting reports about how much it will take to prise Alvarez away from the defending Premier League champions; with some claiming less than £35m will be enough and others stating £77m will secure his services.

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The former would be good value for money for a player who scored 19 goals and notched 13 assists last season, but the latter fee is likely to put off multiple potential suitors.

PSG may not have it all their own way, however, as Alvarez has also been linked with English top-flight rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

At City, Alvarez is unlikely to usurp Haaland as the club’s first-choice striker. Therefore, a move may be the right thing to further his career. Either way, an interesting few weeks of the transfer window lie ahead.