By Gerardo Romero
09 Aug 2024, 15:37 PM EDT
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has finally decided to put an end to the rumours linked to Argentine Julián Álvarez and confirmed that the footballer will leave the ranks of the ‘Citizens’ for this season and will join Atlético Madrid after reaching an agreement with all parties.
These statements made during a press conference confirm the news revealed by various media outlets a couple of days ago detailing an agreement between Atlético de Madrid and Manchester City to acquire the services of the world champion in exchange for around $96 million dollars.
“If he wants to leave, he wants a new challenge and Atlético de Madrid is a top-level club in Spain and Europe. Both clubs are happy with the agreement,” Guardiola said in his statements after revealing that he learned the news after speaking with the directors of the English team.
The Spanish coach said that he considers this to be the best decision the team could have made because it is something that Julián Álvarez has wanted for some time and he considered that it would be unfortunate for him to have to remain in a squad in which he does not want to play because this would affect his mental state.
“I want to thank Julián. We were here for two years and we won everything together. His contribution to the team has been enormous. He has been part of the starting 11 many times and other times he hasn’t had much of a role. It was incredible, the love we have for him because of his conduct is incredible, but as I always say with the players, he loved himself. When the club suggested to me that he wanted to leave, I said, ‘Ok, if you want to leave, fine,’” he added.
“We wish him the best, we hope to see him back here to say hello and nothing more than that. It was a pleasure working with him, I learned a lot from him, because coaches learn a lot from players and I hope he can find what he is looking for,” concluded Guardiola.
The coach stressed that he still does not know any information about whether they are looking for a substitute for Julián Álvarez despite the rumours about the possible arrival of the Brazilian Rodrygo from Real Madrid.
Álvarez shone in a big way at Manchester City, becoming the youngest Argentine player to score a goal in the Champions League semi-finals in May 2023. His current trophy cabinet includes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 2024 Copa América in the United States, the Premier League (2023, 2024), the 2023 FA Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
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