Julian Alvarez is closing on a move to Atletico Madrid from Manchester City after a big development last night.
The striker is looking likely to move to the Spanish giants very soon, with an agreement almost reached between the two clubs.
There has been speculation about Alvarez for weeks now, and the situation became somewhat ominous when he mentioned about his game time in an interview last week. Pep Guardiola offered a blunt response.
Despite the season only being a couple of weeks away now, City appear to be very open to selling.
It is a fascinating situation, and fans are now wondering if the Argentina international will be replaced, or Pep will turn to someone like James McAtee or Oscar Bobb to step up.
Atletico tell Julian Alvarez they want him to be the face of their club
Alvarez has had a number of clubs interested in him since reports started to surface about him being open to leaving Manchester City.
Atletico were mentioned quite early on. But there have also been reports of interest from the likes of Juventus, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
But it is Atletico Madrid who have made the move, with David Ornstein reporting yesterday that an agreement was close.
Atleti are known for having top strikers, and he would be following in the footsteps of some incredible stars such as Sergio Aguero, Fernando Torres, Diego Forlan, Diego Costa and Luis Suarez.
Atleti have certainly had some superstars down the years.
And seemingly, they are now looking to use this to lure Alvarez. Marca report that Atletico have told Alvarez they intend to make him the new ‘face’ of their club.
They are ready to roll out the red carpet for him, and make him a ‘franchise player’.
Good business by City
- Who is Julian Alvarez? The story of the striker who won it all at Man City before joining Atletico Madrid
If Alvarez does sell for the money being talked about then it will be good business by the club.
Alvarez was signed for just £14 million only two years ago.
It is now looking as though he will be sold in a record deal, which just shows what fantastic work Txiki and Pep have done here.
It is going to be fascinating to see how the club react to this development.
While Alvarez is replaceable, it could be tricky to cover the goals and assists he provided
