Will Manchester City regret selling Julian Alvarez this summer

Manchester City has arguably the most expensively assembled squad in the Premier League and the best in the competition.

England’s champions have over the years proven to be one of the teams to follow and have been working with the best talents on offer.

Even their players who stay on the bench can comfortably walk into the first team of any club, which explains why Atletico Madrid has splashed around £82m for Julian Alvarez.

The Argentinian has been at Manchester City for just two years, yet he has won all the club trophies available to him at Pep Guardiola’s side, even though he has not been a regular.

City has had one of the most successful squads ever and Alvarez has won six honours in two years, including two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup and several other trophies.

The attacker was never a regular and it was last season that he began to start games often following injuries to Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne.

To fill those voids, he had to show his versatility and slot into midfield and other attacking positions to deliver to fans who buy Manchester City tickets.

Alvarez has been one of the best players in the world despite not being a regular and City did not want to sell him.

Pep Guardiola reluctantly suggested he would allow the Argentinian to leave if he asked to go, and the Spanish gaffer will now have to find a replacement. 

This was just days after we wondered if Manchester City needed to make signings this summer. 

The pre-Haaland and Alvarez Manchester City

Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland are two players who changed Manchester City from the way they had been before their arrival.

Interestingly, both players came to the club in the same year, although Alvarez was signed six months before the Norwegian came to town.

Before then, City was still a successful side which did not rely too much on their strikers.

Sergio Aguero remains one of their best players. He was a terrific striker when he wore Manchester City's sky blue.

However, when Pep Guardiola arrived at the club, the Spanish manager did not rely on any striker and decided to make his team as effective as possible in every position without waiting for one player to deliver for them to find success.

The likes of David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus, among others scored the goals needed to make the team successful.

These players would go on to win several trophies under Guardiola, so it wasn’t because they had been unsuccessful that they signed Alvarez and Haaland.

The Argentinian and the Norwegian joined a team that already had a fine working system, which made their lives easy.

However, their special talent also made it look far easier when they played than it could have been.

With Pep Guardiola, City is almost guaranteed to have a successful season regardless of the players at his disposal, but we cannot underplay the impact of Alvarez's goals and assists.

How good was Alvarez?

When Alvarez joined Manchester City at the start of 2022, the Argentinian was allowed to spend a few more months on loan at River Plate to continue his development.

He was 22, and in the summer he finally linked up with the Premier League champions who had been excited about his development back in Argentina.

The attacker had to work to prove he could stay, with many fans expecting him to leave the club on loan again eventually.

City is a world-class team, and at the start of the 2022/2023 season, they had their eyes on the ultimate prize in club football: the Champions League.

Alvarez was in a race against time to prove that he could play for them, and he did so, which made Pep Guardiola keep him in the squad as a backup to Erling Haaland.

The Argentinian was mostly a substitute, yet he won the Premier League and the Champions League in his first term, with Argentina also winning the World Cup, with him as one of his national team’s main men.

Alvarez is one of the players City needs, but in what could be Pep Guardiola’s final season, the Argentinian has decided to leave for Atletico Madrid.

What happens now if Haaland gets injured

Alvarez was a go-to man for City when Haaland was injured or unavailable to play, which is why he played so many games for the Citizens last season.

The Norwegian was constantly sidelined, and Alvarez was often called upon to play, and he delivered.

Now that he is gone, City fans would be worried about what their team will do when they need someone to step up as a replacement for their goal machine.

We have established before now that City is a team that does not rely on one player to score goals, and Guardiola is a manager who can easily adapt to any situation and still get a result.

Another in-house solution could be to use Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne, or Bernardo Silva as a false nine.

Youngsters like James McAtee, Oscar Bobb and Savinho can also step up and fill the void he leaves behind if City decides not to sign a replacement.

Possible replacements for Julian Alvarez for City to consider

Manchester City has not been as active as Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal in this transfer window, but the departure of Alvarez is expected to trigger them into action in the next few weeks.

The Citizens know how to sign good players, but we have curated a list of stars who might be solid replacements for Alvarez.

Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen

The Golden Boy of German football, Wirtz, has caught the attention of City and several other top clubs. After his successful campaign at Leverkusen last term, he could be a solid signing for the Citizens.

It will be a tough deal to pull off, but every player has a price, and it is hard to resist being managed by Pep Guardiola.

Kenan Yildiz, Juventus

Yildiz is Juventus’ latest gem, and the Italians are already preparing to hand him their number 10 shirt, which is one of the most iconic at the club.

The Turkish youngster was in fine form at Euro 2024 and has the talent to explode if he works with Pep Guardiola.

Juve will be reluctant to sell, but City has the money to tempt them into changing their minds.

Cole Palmer, Chelsea

Palmer only left Manchester City last summer and became a sensation at Chelsea in his only season in London.

The attacker only wanted to leave Man City on loan, but the Citizens chose to sell him instead.

Now that they have seen what he can do, they could plot a stunning return for him, and the Euro 2024 finalist could be delighted to be back at his old club.

Conclusion

Julian Alvarez was an efficient player for Manchester City, and his departure might force them to make some new signings, but he might not be missed.