Manchester City have just hit a bit of a sticky patch, after a positive start to 2024/25.
Pep Guardiola’s side fell to a chastening 4-1 defeat in the Champions League against Sporting CP in midweek, which was the club’s third straight defeat.
Manchester City had not been playing well prior to this three-game losing streak, and it’s clear that the team is still adapting without Rodri in particular.
The creativity of Kevin De Bruyne has also been missed, as has Phil Foden’s form from last season.
There has been a big reliance on Erling Haaland to score the goals this season, and some have suggested the sale of Julian Alvarez has actually stung City.
But Paul Merson has said that he doesn’t really blame the club for that transfer.
Paul Merson says ‘it’s understandable’ Man City sold Julian Alvarez
City sold Alvarez for over £80 million in the summer window, which was a fee that impressed even some neutrals.
Alvarez had been a good player for City, but arguably he would not have made Guardiola’s best XI when everybody was fit to play. That was evident in the second half of the 2023/24 season when he started a lot less compared to the first half.
He cost City just £14 million, so for the club to sell him on for nearly five times that amount just two years after he joined is very impressive.
Arguably, the Alvarez sale was some of Txiki Begiristain’s best work as sporting director.
For Paul Merson, City were right to cash on for the money that was proposed – even if the Argentine did brig a fairly solid goal output.
He told Sportskeeda: “I do agree that Julian Alvarez is a big miss for Manchester City, but you can never turn down £80 million for him.
“That was absolutely crazy money and City could not help but sell him, it’s understandable. If Erling Haaland picks up an injury, it’ll start to look even worse and that’s something they’ll have to live with.”
- Who is Julian Alvarez? The story of the striker who won it all at Man City before joining Atletico Madrid
Merson is right, but Alvarez needed replacing properly
It was indeed completely understandable that City sold Alvarez for the money they did. Realistically, Atletico Madrid probably overpaid by around £20 million for the South American.
City simply couldn’t pass up the chance to sell for such big money, even if his absence is now being felt.
Really, City needed that sale to happen a few weeks before it actually did.
| Julian Alvarez for Man City (all competitions) |
| Appearances – 103 |
| Goals – 36 |
| Assists – 18 |
| Trophies won – 6 |
In the end, the club had little time to replace Alvarez properly, with Ilkay Gundogan brought in as someone who could get into the attacking midfield positions, while also offering cover for Rodri.
Gundogan is now pretty much being exclusively used as a defensive midfielder as a result of Rodri’s injury, so there is no replacement for Alvarez.
Hoepfully in January, City will look to bring in another forward, because there is a lot of pressure on Haaland to remain fit for the whole season, and he cannot play every single game.
