Julian Alvarez Set to Join Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in £81m Deal

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez is poised to arrive in Madrid on Sunday ahead of completing his £81million transfer to Atletico Madrid.

The 24-year-old Argentine striker has agreed to a five-year deal with the Spanish giants, which could rise to £95m with performance-based add-ons. Alvarez’s time at the Etihad has been highly successful, with six trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League, as well as World Cup and Copa America wins with Argentina.

Despite City’s desire to keep him, Alvarez is motivated by the promise of increased playing time at Atletico. During his stint at City, he scored 36 goals and provided 18 assists in 103 games, but was open about his desire to feature in high-stakes matches.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez will arrive in Madrid on Sunday ahead of signing a five year deal and completing his £81million move to Atletico Madrid tomorrow

Atletico boss Diego Simeone has long been an admirer of Alvarez, who had also attracted interest from other top clubs, including Chelsea. City had previously been interested in Joao Felix, which could have led to a possible swap deal, but that option is no longer on the table.

Alvarez’s desire for increased playing time was a key factor in his decision to leave City. “Last season, I was one of the players with the most minutes at City. But… in the end, you don’t like being left out of important matches; you want to contribute,” he said earlier this summer.

Alvarez has enjoyed a successful stint with City, winning six trophies in just over two years

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has insisted that City will take their time to spend the funds raised by Alvarez’s sale, and won’t rush into signing a new midfielder. “Yeah, we will see,” Guardiola said. “If we need someone, the price we have to buy [has to be right] otherwise it makes no sense.”

Pep Guardiola insisted City would take their time to spend the funds raised by Alvarez’s sale

Julian Alvarez is set to join Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in £81m deal