Pep Guardiola has not hidden his admiration for Julian Alvarez, the former Manchester City striker now in great shape with Atletico Madrid. Asked about the Argentinian's exceptional season, on the sidelines of the Skyblues match against Everton (2-0), the Spanish coach admitted on Sky Sports that he regretted no longer being able to count on him.
“When we won the treble, you know which players I had on the bench? Aymeric Laporte, Julián Álvarez and others »recalled Guardiola. “ I would love to have them today. But they wanted to play. They didn't play much here, so they left. »
The City coach thus underlines the understandable choice of the Argentine striker, who wanted to get more playing time and show himself at his true level.
Guardiola is full of praise for his former player: “Julian is a top player. This is why today he is at one of the best clubs in the world, Atletico, under the direction of a top coach, surrounded by great players, and he is performing incredibly. » A way of reminding us that Alvarez has lost none of his talent, quite the contrary.
Julian Alvarez, PSG priority?
The timing of these statements is interesting: Julian Alvarez is announced as a priority target of PSG for the winter transfer window, with a transfer that could reach 100 million euros. The striker, executioner of the Blues at the 2022 World Cup, continues to seduce in Europe thanks to his versatility, his ability to score and his reading of the game.
Today at Atletico, Alvarez seems fulfilled and confirms all the expectations placed on him. But Guardiola, while understanding his departure, reveals a slight regret: having a player of this caliber in his squad would be a luxury for any coach. With PSG interested in him, the Argentinian could well find a major role on the European scene in the months to come.
