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Julian Alvarez is assessing his options amid interest from Atletico Madrid, saying that he will decide on his future at Manchester City after the Olympics.
The 24-year-old is set to start for Argentina in their third Paris 2024 group stage game against Ukraine, taking place today in Lyon.
However, throughout this summer’s transfer window, the creative forward has been linked with a move to Spain, despite signing a one-year contract extension with City in March last year. The deal should keep him in the Premier League until 2028, but a lack of appearances in big games has caused Alvarez to consider other options.
Alvarez entered last season after winning the 2022 Fifa World Cup with his national team and the quadruple with his club, scoring the last goal in a 4–0 win over Real Madrid to lift the Uefa Champions League trophy in 2023.
But, while he contributed an array of dynamic performances en route to City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title win just a few months ago, Alverez has expressed his frustration with being left out of Guardiola’s side during the season’s pivotal moments.
“Maybe it’s annoying to be out in big games, players always want to help on the pitch," he said. "But my season was good, so I’m very happy."
“We will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.”
Alvarez was a substitute when City lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United in May, but is now laser focused on reaching the men’s Olympic final on August 9.
Argentina lost 1-2 to Morocco in a chaotic opener that involved a pitch invasion – delaying the game on July 24 by nearly two hours – and a controversial VAR call, which denied Javier Mascherano’s side a late equaliser scored by Cristian Medina.
Now, Argentina come off a 3-1 victory over Iraq on Saturday, with Alvarez getting an assist but failing to etch his name on the score sheet.
“I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too,” City boss Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport.
“We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games.
“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.”
