It’s as if the pressure is already getting to Pep Guardiola after Man City’s poor start to their pre-season tour of America.
The Premier League champions face Barcelona on Wednesday night following a 3-2 loss to AC Milan and a 4-3 defeat against Celtic.
Regardless of whether pre-season games are not thought of as being important other than for players to get minutes in their legs and build up their match fitness, performance levels still need to be maintained.
On top of that, there’s the transfer window to think about given that clubs will want to get deals done and new players involved as quickly as possible.
The same applies to those players that perhaps want to move on, and there have long been rumours surrounding the future of Julian Alvarez.
In an interview with Clarin (posted by CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, on X), although Alvarez detailed that he felt good at City, he also intimated that it was annoying to be left out in the big games, giving credence to the rumours that he could move on this summer.
??? More quotes from Álvarez’s interview from @clarincom.
“I feel good at City. We will see what happens after Olympics”.
“Maybe it's annoying to be out in big games, players always want to help on the pitch! But my season was good, so I'm very happy”.pic.twitter.com/FrEHkKrrqq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2024
The player is currently at the Olympic Games with the Argentina squad, and his words have clearly hit a nerve where Pep Guardiola is concerned.
??? Guardiola on Julián Álvarez: “I read that he's going to think about it. Ok, think about it… then he will inform us what he wants to do”.
“Julián played a lot. He wants more? It’s fine. So that's why… think about it. And when he thinks about it, he will inform us”. pic.twitter.com/rtbT65qJn9
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 29, 2024
“I read that he’s going to think about it (a move elsewhere),” Pep was quoted as saying in a post by Romano.
“Ok, think about it… then he will inform us what he wants to do. Julian played a lot. He wants more? It’s fine. So that’s why… think about it. And when he thinks about it, he will inform us.”
If, and it’s surely a big if at this point, City accede to any move for the 24-year-old, they won’t let him go for peanuts.
Any team interested in his services will likely have to pay top dollar to land him, in order that City are able to secure a worthwhile replacement who, like Alvarez, will need to be content with playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland.
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