Guardiola praises Alvarez’s ‘Massive’ impact as striker nears Atletico move
Pep Guardiola has lauded Julian Alvarez’s significant contributions during his two-year spell at Manchester City, as the Argentine forward prepares to join Atletico Madrid in a high-profile transfer deal reportedly worth up to 95 million euros (£81 million, $104 million).
The 24-year-old forward, who joined City from River Plate for a modest £14 million, has since become a key figure in the club’s recent successes.
Alvarez played a pivotal role in Argentina’s World Cup and Copa America triumphs, as well as in Manchester City’s two Premier League titles and Champions League victory.
During his time at City, Alvarez scored 36 goals in 103 appearances. However, despite his impressive performances, he often found himself on the bench, with Erling Haaland being Guardiola’s preferred striker.
Reflecting on Alvarez’s departure, Guardiola expressed his gratitude for the player’s contributions. “He has been two years here, we won everything together and his contribution has been massive,” Guardiola said ahead of City’s Community Shield clash with Manchester United. “He wanted to leave.
He wanted a new challenge. Atletico Madrid is a top club in Spain…. It was a joy to work with him and hopefully he can find what he is looking for.”
As Guardiola enters the final year of his contract with Manchester City, speculation continues to swirl about his future.
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The 53-year-old, who has won an impressive array of trophies during his eight seasons at the club—including six Premier League titles and City’s first-ever Champions League—remained coy about whether he would consider managing the England national team after his current deal expires.
“I have to decide what I want to do with my life. If I want to continue here, I want to take a break, I want to be training national teams or not, so many things,” Guardiola remarked. Despite the uncertainty, he conveyed his enthusiasm for the upcoming season.
“When you arrive to the competition then my energy can rise again, so I’m fully, I would say, excited for the season because I see things that I like and then we’ll see.”
With Manchester City aiming to secure a record-extending fifth consecutive Premier League title, Guardiola emphasized the importance of maintaining ambition and focus. “It’s a new challenge.
We broke the record last season (of winning four consecutive Premier League titles) and now we’ll see what is the ambition of ourselves.”
