It’s just the nature of the beast at a club like Manchester City.
No matter how talented you may be, no matter how much you cost, there will always be two or three similarly elite-level players fighting for the same position.
Kalvin Phillips was one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s England team sheet before making that ill-fated £42 million move to the Etihad Stadium. Matheus Nunes, the £53 million signing from Wolves, started only seven Premier League games under Pep Guardiola in 2023/24 and could be on his way out already, HITC understands.
Mateo Kovacic, Nathan Ake and the £100 million Jack Grealish also spent time out of Manchester City’s starting XI in the season just gone. Julian Alvarez, meanwhile, was a regular in domestic competition but barely featured in Europe.
And should the World Cup winner grow frustrated with his rather in-and-out role, former Italy international Luca Toni feels there is one club who may be the ideal destination for a man who may hpe to go from a supporting cast role in an all-star ensemble to that of a leading man with his own face on the posters.
Julian Alvarez has much to prove at Manchester City
“If Julian Alvarez no longer wants to stay on the bench, he’d be an established player who is accustomed to winning,” Toni tells Tuttosport, urging AC Milan to consider another raid on the Premier League.
“I would sign players under contract with top clubs who don’t have enough playing time. See what Milan did with (Christian) Pulisic.”
Pulisic, out of favour at Chelsea, bounced back brilliantly in Serie A. The American ended his debut campaign in Italian football with 15 goals and 11 assists, emulating the impact of fellow former Blue Fikayo Tomori at the San Siro.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek also enjoyed a new lease of life after leaving England for the Rossoneri, emerging as one of Milan’s greatest goal threats alongside ex-Chelsea and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.
There is no suggestion that Alvarez will be going anywhere soon, however, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola making excellent use of the former River Plate starlet’s tactical intelligence and positional versatility.
Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the World Cup winner
“He’s a guy with a sense of goal,” Guardiola said in February, Alvarez slotting into an attacking midfield role in Kevin de Bruyne’s absence.
“His movements between lines (means) we have another guy when the teams defend so, so deep. And it happens quite often. We have a guy with a sense of goal, which is important.
“I think he plays because he deserves it. In the absence of Erling (Haaland) for two months he was a key, key point with Phil (Foden). Yeah, really good in those terms.”
Man City are once again making good use of the South American market heading into another transfer window. Claudio Echeverri is following in Alvarez’s footsteps from River Plate to England, while the 2023 treble winners are also expected to bring in the so-called Uruguayan Mbappe in Luciano Rodriguez.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
