Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has suggested Manchester City may not go for an out-and-out striker to replace Atletico Madrid-bound Julian Alvarez. The Italian journalist feels Pep Guardiola could opt to sign a winger and deploy him as a false nine when Erling Haaland is not available for selection.
Julian Alvarez To Be A Record Sale For Manchester City
After weeks of negotiations, Atletico Madrid are tantalizingly close to signing Alvarez from Manchester City. Atleti manager Diego Simeone pushed hard to bring his countryman to the Spanish capital, and the board gave him the financial backing he needed to pull off the potential €95 million ($103.68 million) transfer.
“We’ve had significant developments on a few major deals in a crazy domino around Europe and the first of those is the ‘here we go’ for Julian Alvarez to move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. It’s a record sale for Man City – a €75m guaranteed fee plus €20m in add-ons,” said Romano in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside.
“So that could be a potential €95m sale for a player Man City signed for just £14m a couple of years ago – an incredible piece of business for the Premier League champions. Of course, it’s also an exciting signing for Atletico Madrid, who are landing a top talent up front, so it’s fantastic for both clubs. It will be completed soon, with Alvarez set to sign a five-year contract. Alvarez has also spoken already with Diego Simeone, who has been really keen to push this move through.”
Fabrizio Romano Says Man City May Not Sign A Like-For-Like Replacement For Alvarez
Replacing the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning striker will not be straightforward for the reigning English champions. But with Guardiola at the helm, City has the freedom to experiment with players of different profiles.
He added:
“Man City will now look at options to replace Alvarez, for sure. It could be a striker, but I would not be surprised if they end up considering also wingers and maybe playing with a false nine when Erling Haaland will not be available. Talks are taking place internally to decide on the next move, so we will have to wait and see the outcome of those discussions.”
Since his move from Riverplate at the start of the 2022-23 season, Alvarez has played 103 games for City in all competitions, scoring 36 times and providing 18 assists. He has helped City to six accolades, including two Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy.
