Alvarez To Decide Manchester City Future Post-Olympics Amidst Atletico Interest

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Julian Alvarez, a key player for Manchester City, will delay any decisions about his future until after Argentina's Olympics campaign. Alvarez has been an asset to Pep Guardiola's team over the past two seasons. Despite Erling Haaland being the primary striker, Alvarez often filled in as an attacking midfielder, especially covering for Kevin De Bruyne.

Alvarez is currently representing Argentina at the Paris Olympics, having helped his nation win the Copa America earlier this summer. Atletico Madrid has shown interest in him, but he remains undecided about leaving City. "There is a lot of talk," Alvarez mentioned before Argentina's match against Ukraine. "I am focused here [at the Olympics] because it is a short tournament."

Alvarez played 54 games across all competitions for City last season, more than any other player on the team. Out of these, 15 were substitute appearances. He scored 19 goals, surpassing his expected goals (xG) of 17.5 and provided 13 assists. Only Kevin De Bruyne had more assists (17), and Phil Foden created more chances (107) compared to Alvarez's 98.

Guardiola expressed his desire to retain Alvarez but acknowledged the challenges in keeping every player satisfied with their playing time. "I don't think about replacing [him]," Guardiola stated. "I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too."

"We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games," Guardiola added. "I read he has to think about it, so OK, think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do." This highlights the competitive nature within the squad and Guardiola’s understanding of each player's aspirations.

Alvarez himself reflected on his situation: "At Manchester City I feel very good; I played a lot of minutes. But we will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide." He acknowledged that missing out on big games can be frustrating but remained positive about his overall season performance.

Focus on Current Goals

"Maybe it's annoying to be out in big games; players always want to help on the pitch," Alvarez admitted. "But my season was good, so I'm very happy." His focus remains on performing well at the Olympics before making any career decisions.

The anticipation around Alvarez’s decision continues as fans and clubs alike await his post-Olympics plans. His contributions have been significant for Manchester City, and his future choices will undoubtedly impact both his career and the team's dynamics.