The agent of Julian Alvarez is said to be flying to England this week to discuss his client’s future with Manchester City amid transfer links with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Atletico Madrid have opened discussions with the Blues after the 24-year-old hinted that he could leave the Etihad Stadium this summer. Pep Guardiola is expecting Alvarez, who lifted the Copa America last month, back for pre-season soon following Argentina’s exit from the Olympics.
“I’m sure when he comes back I’ll hug and congratulate him for the Copa America, for the Olympics and we will start to work together. This is the reality,” Guardiola said following City’s 4-2 friendly win over Chelsea this weekend.
Alvarez, contracted until 2028, played 54 matches last season, which included 31 Premier League starts. However, this was mostly due to Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term injury with just six league selections coming after February, not starting at all across May.
Furthermore, the forward began just two of City’s 10 Champions League games en route to the quarter-finals. “You don’t like being left out of important matches; you want to contribute,” Alvarez said earlier this summer, albeit conceded he “was one of the players with the most minutes at City.”
But the lack of assurances over game time, with Erling Haaland firmly number one pick, has led him to think about his future. “I’ll take my time to think about what I want for myself,” he added. “We will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.”
