Julian Alvarez has admitted he doesn’t like being left out of big games at Manchester City as transfer speculation over his future continues to swirl.
The Argentina international, who played at the 2024 Copa America before jetting over to France to feature at the Paris Olympics, was City’s second-most used squad member last season and contributed 11 goals and nine assists as they won the Premier League title.
However, starts were rarely guaranteed. Alvarez appeared only as a late substitute in the two games against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals as City’s defence was ended by the future champions, while he also came off the bench in the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United.
City are said to value Alvarez at £75m which could put prospective buyers off this summer, but he has revealed being left out of high-profile fixtures has been tough to take.
He told DIRECTV Sports: “I haven’t stopped to think about what I’m going to do. When this [Argentina men’s football campaign at the Olympics] is over I’ll start thinking about what I want for myself. We’ll see how things go.
“Last season I was one of the players who played the most minutes in the team. But it’s true: in the end, in important games, you don’t like being left out and you want to contribute.”
Alvarez often featured in an attacking midfield position as cover for the injured Kevin De Bruyne, while he also deputised up front when Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland was unavailable.
Since joining City in 2022, Alvarez has become one of most decorated players in world football at both club and international level. The 24-year-old has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup and also claimed national team glory with Argentina during the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America triumphs.