Julian Alvarez ‘is being monitored by Arsenal’ after his public exchange of words with Pep Guardiola but Gunners ‘may need to sell more players to fund a move for £80m-rated Man City star’

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal.

Alvarez has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists in 67 Premier League appearances for City since joining the club from River Plate in 2022.

However, he started last season’s FA Cup final on the bench, having also only featured as a late substitute in both legs of City’s Champions League quarter-final defeat by Real Madrid.

The 24-year-old recently claimed that he would decide his future after representing Argentina at this summer’s Olympic Games in France.

Alvarez said: ‘Last season, I was one of the players with the most minutes at City. But… in the end, you don’t like being left out of important matches; you want to contribute.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is said to be interested in signing the Man City star this summer

‘I’ll take my time to think about what I want for myself. We will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.’

City manager Pep Guardiola was asked about those comments from Alvarez and replied during the club’s tour of the USA: ‘I don’t think about replacing. I knew he said he will think about it.

‘Once he has finished thinking, his agent will call Txiki [Begiristain] and we will see what happens.

‘I know he wants to play important moments, yeah. But the other ones [do] too. 18, 19 players as well want to play the big games. 

‘I read he wants to think about it. Okay, think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do.’

Alvarez said earlier this summer that he would decide his future after the Olympic Games 

City boss Pep Guardiola delivered a blunt message when asked about Alvarez’s comments

According to The Mirror, Arsenal are monitoring Alvarez’s situation following Guardiola’s seemingly blunt message to the striker.

It is claimed that the player would likely command a transfer fee close to £80million, including add-ons.

Arsenal may need to sell more players before they are able to make such an expensive signing.

Emile Smith Rowe recently left to join Fulham in a £27m deal, while fellow homegrown starlets Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson have also been linked with possible moves away. 

Alvarez played the full 90 minutes for his country on Friday night as Argentina lost 1-0 to France in their Olympic quarter-final.

Alvarez pictured (right) in action for Argentina against France at the Olympics on Friday night

Ahead of that match he was quizzed about Guardiola’s response to his initial comments about him considering his future.

‘I heard what Guardiola said,’ Alvarez told TyC Sports. ‘I don’t have much to say about it. 

‘I never said anything bad. I just said that I was going to think about it like I do every season to make an analysis of what happened last season, a projection of what may come.

‘I always say that I am comfortable and happy at City, which is a great club. So I didn’t say anything bad.’