Julian Alvarez will be a part of the Manchester City squad next season after the club's decision makers came to an early decision on his future.
City paid an initial £14.1m to sign the exciting forward from River Plate, but allowed him to stay at the Argentine club for the remainder of the English season. The initial plan was to bring the 22-year-old to Manchester for pre-season training this summer under Pep Guardiola, before making a decision over whether to loan him back to River Plate, send him to another club in Europe, or keep him at the Etihad.
However, less than two weeks since the 2021/22 campaign has concluded City bosses have determined that Alvarez will be part of Guardiola's plans for next season. He becomes the second major addition to a team that topped the scoring charts in England and Europe last season, following the £51m signing of Erling Haaland from Dortmund.
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If the news will disappoint the clubs that were hoping to be able to take the 22-year-old on a permanent deal, City's quick decision is a reflection both of their approach to transfer windows but also the level of performance Alvarez has shown in recent months. The River Plate forward has scored two hat-tricks and a double hat-trick in the months since his move was announced.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak signalled the club's intent for Alvarez by discussing him in the same breath as Haaland during his end-of-season interview. "In Alvarez I think we have found one of the most talented young strikers in South America," he said.
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