Atletico Madrid Secure £81.5m Deal for Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid has reached an agreement to sign Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez for a total of £81.5 million. The deal includes an initial payment of £64.4 million (€75 million), with an additional £17.1 million (€20 million) in potential add-ons.

This transfer represents a record sale for Manchester City, surpassing the £50 million Chelsea paid for Raheem Sterling in 2022. Alvarez has indicated that he will decide on his future after Argentina’s participation in the 2024 Olympics football tournament, where the team was recently eliminated by host nation France.

Despite Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s desire to retain the 24-year-old, the club has a history of allowing players to leave if they express a wish to do so, as seen with Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, and Aymeric Laporte in the past. Guardiola had previously stated that he “counted” on Alvarez for the upcoming season, saying, “I count on him, but he said in the news that decisions will be made all together.”

In addition to Alvarez, Atletico Madrid has agreed on a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. However, they have yet to finalize personal terms with Alvarez. This potential transfer signifies a significant move for Atletico as they strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.