CITY WELCOMES ÁLVAREZ

Manchester City have completed the sale of Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid in a transfer valued at €95 million (£81.5 million), marking the Argentina World Cup winner as the Premier League champions’ record sale. Atlético Madrid will pay an initial £64.4 million for the striker, with potential add-ons amounting to an additional £17.1 million based on various performance-related clauses.

Álvarez, who netted 36 goals in 103 appearances for City, now becomes Atlético’s second-most expensive acquisition, following João Félix(€127 Million), who is currently attracting interest from Aston Villa and Chelsea. Álvarez played a pivotal role in City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola, contributing 19 goals last season.

The sale of Álvarez, who primarily served as a backup to Erling Haaland, represents a significant financial gain for City, who originally acquired the forward from River Plate for just £14 million in January 2022. This summer, City has generated over £130 million from player sales, with departures including Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Liam Delap, Sergio Gómez, Tommy Doyle, Micah Hamilton, and Alex Robertson. The £30.8 million signing of Brazilian midfielder Savinho from Troyes remains their only incoming transfer.

Reflecting on his time at City, Álvarez expressed his deep appreciation for the club, where he won six major trophies during his two-year stint. “Today, I say goodbye to this amazing club with a lot of emotion,” Álvarez said. “These have been two very special years, during which I have grown and learned a lot, both as a player and as a person.”

Pep Guardiola mentioned last week that City would consider the possibility of replacing Álvarez, though the club acknowledges the difficulty in finding a player of similar value and quality. The continued development of youngsters like Oscar Bobb, James McAtee, and Savinho could potentially reduce the need for additional attacking signings.

Atlético Madrid has confirmed that Álvarez has signed a six-year contract with the club. The Spanish side has already bolstered their squad this summer with the signings of Norwegian forward Alexander Sorløth and Spanish center-back Robin Le Normand with Conor Gallagher also close to a move.