“He plays a lot, he wants more?” - Guardiola reacts to Julian Alvarez’s comments on Manchester City future amid transfer rumors
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed disbelief at reports of Julian Alvarez being unhappy with the amount of games he plays at the club. The Argentine striker has been in the news for much of the transfer window thus far as he reportedly looks to leave the Premier league champions.
Alvarez joined Manchester City in the same year as Erling Haaland (2022) and has proven to be a useful player for Guardiola's side. The 24-year-old has filled in a number of positions in attack but has not been the first-choice striker in his time at the club.
Guardiola spoke with the media in the USA, where his team are on their pre-season tour, and he fielded questions on the future of Alvarez. The manager left the door open for the Argentina international to leave the club if he wishes to do so.
“He said he’d think about it. When he’s finished, his agent calls Txiki and we see what happens. I know he wants to play important moments but the other ones do too. Okay, think about it and tell us. He plays a lot, he wants more? That’s fine,” Guardiola said.
Although Alvarez has often had to play second fiddle to Haaland at the Etihad Stadium, he has still featured quite regularly for the Cityzens. The former River Plate man played 3,481 minutes for Guardiola's side in the 2023-24 campaign before participating in the Copa America where he scored two goals.
Julian Alvarez scored 19 goals for the Cityzens last season, ending up as their second-highest goalscorer behind Haaland. The striker is attracting interest from multiple sides, including PSG, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. A fee of around £70 million may be sufficient to prise him away from City this summer.
Julian Alvarez outlines future plans under Pep Guardiola
Manchester City star Julian Alvarez has revealed his state of mind with regards to playing under Pep Guardiola this season. The Argentine striker is currently with the Argentina U-23 team at the Paris Olympics.
Alvarez spoke with DSports Radio about his plans for the future, starting with this summer.
"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."
Julian Alvarez is aiming to join Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria in winning both the FIFA World Cup and Olympic gold.