Manchester City had a fairly quiet 2024 summer window – but Paul Merson reckons one transfer decision might just come back to haunt Pep Guardiola.
As always, there was lots of speculation about players joining and players leaving.
But in the end, there were only a handful of incoming and outgoings at the Etihad Stadium.
One of the most eye-catching deals that was done by City in the summer was the sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
There had been some talk about Alvarez for a couple of months leading up to his exit, with the player apparently unhappy with his role at the club.
He had lost prominence in the second half of last season following the returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland from injury.
He was sold for £81.5 million, which was a deal that was widely praised. Paul Merson, however, thinks it could come back to bite City.
Paul Merson questions Manchester City selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid
Alvarez spent two years at City and proved to be a very good signing.
He was landed for just £14 million from River Plate, and ended up making 103 appearances for the club, scoring 36 goals and making 18 assists.
He may never have been on the same kind of level as Haaland, De Bruyne or Phil Foden, but Alvarez – who joined Atletico because he wanted to push himself according to Rodrigo De Paul – certainly brought a good output in the final third.
For Paul Merson, he is someone who could prove a miss for City.
Speaking in his preview for the weekend clash with Arsenal, he said (via Sportskeeda): “Their squad is unreal.
“However, I feel that the Julian Alvarez transfer is the one that could be the one that hurts them in the end, even though they got a lot of money out of it.”
An offer too good to turn down
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Time will tell if Alvarez leaving will sting City – but the club selling was totally understandable.
Alvarez had grown unhappy at the club, and City rarely stand in the way of players if they want out.
If the price is right, the club will sell. At £81.5 million, City were always going to cash in, even if Alvarez did contribute goals and assists at a decent rate.
Pep clearly felt comfortable enough to sanction the deal. He has brought Ilkay Gundogan back to the club and he can play in advanced midfield positions.
Oscar Bobb may have been in line for a big chunk of Alvarez’s minutes, and hopefully he will be able to thrive once he returns from injury.
