Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez was given the player of the match award after scoring the opening goal for Argentina against Canada on Thursday night.
It was the curtain raiser for the 2024 Copa America and the reigning champions got off to a winning start with a 2-0 win.
Alvarez has been a key player for his country over the last couple of years, having been extremely influential in winning the 2022 World Cup.
However, there have been question marks about his future at the Etihad, with rumours circulating that he is unhappy about his lack of game time.
What is the current situation with Alvarez?
The 24-year-old did speak out earlier this month to say that he is “happy” in Manchester. That should have put an end to speculation but reliable journalists, including The Athletic reporter Sam Lee, have confirmed that the player is “open” to leaving.
Despite starting 39 games at City last campaign, it is believed that Alvarez is keen to have a more important role in Pep Guardiola’s plans.
Have any clubs made an approach for the City forward?
It has been reported that Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Alvarez but Enrique Cerezo, Atletico’s president, has subsequently stated that a transfer is unrealistic due to the cost of the transfer.
The Cityzens are said to be holding out for at least £80m, and teams are not reportedly prepared to pay that much for the striker. At the moment, no club is thought to have formally registered their interest.
With Alvarez currently playing for Argentina at the Copa America in the US, it’s unlikely that we will hear much more about his future until his participation in the tournament comes to an end. The final of the competition is scheduled to take place on July 15th.
