Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez is set to join La Liga side Atletico Madrid on a permanent transfer for a reported fee of £82 million.
The Argentine has been considered a deputy for star striker Erling Haaland during his time at the Etihad Stadium. However, the 24-year-old started showing signs of displeasure with his playing time this summer. After weeks of speculation, Alvarez is close to completing a move to Atletico Madrid.
Despite his role as a squad player, Alvarez was instrumental in Manchester City’s success last season. With key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland sidelined at various times due to injuries, Alvarez stepped up and made 54 appearances across all competitions, scoring 19 goals. However, despite this significant playing time, the 24-year-old was reportedly unhappy about being benched for crucial matches when Haaland was available.
Reports suggest that a replacement is likely
Man City will now assess who to replace him with or even whether they need to replace the forward, with a wealth of attacking options at the club. Pep Guardiola has hinted at finding a replacement, stating, “I don’t know yet if we will replace him… We talk every day, we’ll see what will happen. It could happen, it could not happen. We will see…”
“We will see until the end of the market if we really need a striker to be a back-up for Erling (Haaland). Erling is not going to play all the games with the schedule we have ahead of us, so you have to think about it…”
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has also stated that City are likely to replace Alvarez. “Man City will now look at options to replace [Julian] Alvarez, for sure. It could be a striker, but I would not be surprised if they end up considering also wingers and maybe playing with a false nine when Erling Haaland will not be available. Talks are taking place internally to decide on the next move, so we will have to wait and see the outcome of those discussions…”
Savio and McAtee could step up
Interestingly, Romano mentioned that Pep Guardiola may choose to field a winger or attacking midfielder as a false nine rather than signing an out-and-out striker. This may be a smart idea as having different profiles of players allows for greater tactical flexibility.
Additionally, if Pep Guardiola decides on using a false nine, he may not have to swoop in to the transfer market. New signing Savio and academy graduate James McAtee could prove to be a good option upfront. Alternatively, Guardiola could deploy other players like Jack Grealish or Kevin De Bruyne as the false nine, with McAtee and Savio filling in their usual positions.
With the Premier League season fast approaching, Manchester City will need to make a decision soon on how best to proceed following Alvarez’s departure.
