Chelsea are considering a move for Julian Alvarez after Manchester City rejected Atletico Madrid’s bid.
Julian Alvarez, 24, arrived at Manchester City for an initial £14m fee from River Plate in 2022 and has won back-to-back Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage. He has recently completed his second season at the Etihad Stadium, bagging 11 goals and nine assists in 36 Premier League games for Pep Guardiola’s side, who completed a historic fourth Premier League title in a row.
He made 54 appearances across all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, clocking 3,480 minutes. However, the Argentinean international is considering leaving the Sky Blues to gain more regular opportunities as the forward is aware he will always be behind Erling Haaland in the pecking order.
Looking to take advantage of Alvarez’s doubts of staying at the Etihad Stadium, Atletico Madrid made an approach to Manchester City about the prospect of a deal but the Premier League champions immediately rejected the possibility of a summer transfer.
However, that hasn’t poured cold water on Chelsea’s hopes as they reportedly prepare their bid for the Man City forward. The Blues have a positive relationship with Man City having signed Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer in the last two years, while Mateo Kovacic swapped Stamford Bridge for Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2023.
Chelsea eyeing a shock swoop for Julian Alvarez
Chelsea have started making moves in the transfer market as they look to reshape their squad for new head coach Enzo Maresca. The West London club confirmed their first signing of the summer earlier this week, as Tosin Adarabioyo moved to Chelsea on a free transfer from rivals London rivals Fulham.
Having strengthened their defensive options, Chelsea are planning to address their goalscoring problems from last season. They may target a centre-forward after Nicolas Jackson failed to consistently score goals while Christopher Nkunku spent the large parts of the previous campaign on the sidelines. The Blues had made Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen a summer transfer priority but with a move now appearing unlikely, they have turned their attention to Man City’s Julian Alvarez.
Alvarez played a vital role in City’s 2022-23 treble-winning campaign when he netted 17 goals and supplied five assists in 49 appearances. The 2022 World Cup winner’s productivity improved massively last season but he found himself regularly on the bench once Erling Haaland returned from a month’s injury layoff.
City are in no rush to cash in on the 24-year-old, considering his versatility and proven ruthless ability in front of goal since arriving in the Premier League in 2022. So, Chelsea faces difficulty in persuading the Premier League champions to let Alvarez leave this summer.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
