Julian Alvarez has almost everything at the age of 24, except for a starting position at Manchester City. The collection of titles of the Argentine striker includes: World Cup, Copa America, Champions League, Copa Libertador, FIFA Club World Cup, European Super Cup and Premier League... More notably, many of these titles have been raised by Alvarez.
Alvarez has been at the Etihad for 2 seasons and this is also the time when The Citizens have reaped countless titles. However, after that success, the 24-year-old had to sadly move to Atletico Madrid for £82 million. Of course, this is definitely a bargain for Man City. They have previously spent just £14 million to sign Alvarez from River Plate.
Alvarez's time at Man City was a mix of sweetness and bitterness. The 24-year-old could be a key striker for any major club in Europe, but at Man City, he is only the second choice after Erling Haaland. Pep Guardiola has almost only started Alvarez in unenting matches or Haaland has been injured.
However, last season Alvarez still accumulated 54 appearances in all competitions, mostly due to Haaland's injury for nearly 2 months. With 19 goals and 13 assists, Guardiola cannot help but be satisfied with the 2022 World Cup champions. In particular, during the time Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne were out, Alvarez played an extremely important role for The Citizens.
Alvarez is ready to take on any role that Guardiola has assigned him: from "number 9" to "number 10" or even in the attacking midfield position. The 24-year-old has shown his dedication and willingness to do everything, including becoming a starting striker for Man City when De Bruyne was injured.
In addition, Alvarez is also a very persistent player. In the 2 years since his debut at the Etihad, he has made a total of 130 appearances, 103 for Man City and 27 for Argentina. Alvarez's abundant energy is also an important factor in Argentina's journey to the 2022 World Cup championship.
However, Alvarez's move away from Man City will bring with it a question: How good is the 24-year-old striker?
When moving to Atletico Madrid, Alvarez will certainly feature in the biggest matches, but there is little chance of a Champions League final. Therefore, this will be a big bet between Alvarez and the Metropolitano team.
In a summer in which Real Madrid signed Kylian Mbappe, Atletico Madrid also brought in Alvarez. Alvarez's salary is a bit lower than Mbappe's, but in terms of price, the Argentine striker is the biggest deal in the summer of 2024 so far.
This will put pressure on Alvarez, who is a luxury reserve player. The 2022 World Cup winner must now prove himself as one of the best strikers in the world.
Alvarez could add more trophies to his collection if he stays at Man City. However, with Phil Foden's preference to work in the center, Alvarez did not have many opportunities in the "number 10" position. But, even with so many of Alvarez's goals being supported by Man City's stars, finding a player who is always healthy and effective enough is still a miracle for £14 million.
In short, Man City now have 82 million pounds to comfortably sign another top-class striker. As for Alvarez, a new horizon is opening at Metropolitano...
