Manchester City officials are said to be surprised by just how good Julian Alvarez has proven to be, according to sources close to the club.
The 22-year-old signed for the champions in January but was immediately loaned back to River Plate on a short-term deal. He scored 15 goals upon his return to the Argentine side, taking his total at the club to 50 goals and 29 assists in just 114 appearances.
City officials have monitored him closely during this period and are said to have been impressed by the level of his performances. So much so that he’s firmly in Pep Guardiola’s plans for the new season, with another potential loan move now looking unlikely.
His path to the first team isn’t clear though, especially taking into account the arrival of Erling Haaland. During his career so far, City’s Norwegian star has most often featured as a lone striker, usually in formations such as a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.
Guardiola is likely to deploy similar at City next season, and Haaland is almost assured to be leading his line. This means Alvarez will be forced to deputise for the Dortmund man.
Rotation is a staple of Guardiola’s management, which is good news for Alvarez who should be granted a reasonable amount of playing opportunities, however, vying for the number nine spot with a player of Haaland’s calibre won’t be seen as ideal.
What Alvarez does have in his locker though is versatility and he is capable of playing different roles across the attack. This could be key, especially when you throw in that City look set to lose Gabriel Jesus this summer.
The Brazilian has been the subject of interest from many top clubs, and it seems Arsenal are leading the race to land his signature. Mikel Arteta is thought to be promising him not only a bumper deal, but also more regular minutes leading the attack - something that won’t be guaranteed at City.
While Jesus had to often settle for a bit-part role during his City career, he became an integral member of Guardiola’s squad in the latter months of the last title-winning campaign, scoring a host of crucial goals while playing on the right side of the Blues’ attack.
Although Guardiola has a plethora of top wide attackers to choose from, there’s still a fair case to be made that Jesus’ departure will leave a void in the squad, and it’s one Alvarez could fill.
There’s no doubt the Argentine is at his best through the middle, and that’s where 90% of his senior minutes have come so far. However, he’s got excellent technical skill, great movement and an eye for goal - all traits you could associate with Jesus.
Being able to replicate these for City can help him secure more regular minutes while also softening the impact of Jesus’ departure.
