Julian Alvarez came to Manchester City in 2022 from the Argentine Primera division club, River Plate. Despite signing a contract that will keep him until 2028, the 24-year-old was linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer. However, Alvarez will continue his spell for Pep Guardiola’s side. The Argentinian striker featured in 54 games for Man City across all competitions in the 2023/24 season. Alvarez got the opportunity to start in most of the games due to Erling Haaland’s absence.
Haaland was out for a while due to an injury, leading Guardiola to make use of the Argentinian forward. There were speculations that the player would leave this summer due to being unable to secure the starting spot over Haaland. However, Guardiola wants to keep Alvarez, thus, Man City won’t entertain any offers for him.
The World Cup winner proved his worth during Haaland’s absence
Julian Alvarez scored 11 goals and gave nine assists in 36 features in the Premier League. Moreover, the 24-year-old’s UEFA Champions League run was spectacular. He scored 5 goals and provided two assists in the 7 Champion League appearances. Alvarez’s performance was impressive throughout the season, however, Haaland still remains Man City’s first-choice striker. Despite this situation, the Premier League winners are eager to keep to the Argentinian.
The striker received offers from several top clubs including Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 club are in search of a suitable replacement for Kylian Mbappe as the Frenchman’s move to Real Madrid has been confirmed. Alvarez seemed like a good candidate for PSG but the Blues do not want to let go of the striker.
Alvarez could shine for Argentina during the Copa America
The Argentinian international has the opportunity to increase his trophy collection as he will be playing in the Copa America 2024. Alvarez’s trophy haul is magnificent. The 24-year-old won all the trophies possible with Manchester City at the club level and also won the World Cup 2022. The striker could shine in Lionel Scaloni’s squad this summer. Although there is no doubt that Lautaro Martinez is Argentina’s first-choice, the youngster could get his chance to shine. If Alvarez continues to progress the way he did this season, he could become a valuable player in Argentina’s national team.
What did Scaloni say about the 24-year-old forward?
While speaking about his Argentinian forwards, Lionel Scaloni said that either Lautaro Martinez or Alvarez give the team what they need based on the opponent. Argentina play their first Copa America game against Canada on the 21st of June.
While talking about the team, the Argentina manager said,
“The important thing is that both of them (Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez) are fine and we are very happy. They can give us, based on each match, what we are looking for.”
It is a dilemma for Scaloni to decide who will start, however, it is an advantage to have such talented strikers in the squad. The Argentina manager also mentioned that while Alvarez has done well at Man City even Martinez has been the highest goal scorer in the Serie A.
When Scaloni was asked about who will start, he claimed,
“We’ll see. One match at a time. That’s what we always do. Decide what’s best for the team.”
It will be interesting to see Argentina compete in another international competition after winning the World Cup. Although they are the favorites to win at the moment, the other countries cannot be underestimated.
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