A dreadful defeat at Old Trafford knocked Barcelona out of the Europa League. Although they are still leading the La Liga race, a summer rebuild is on the cards with multiple rumours doing the rounds. According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Barcelona are among a host of clubs to keep close tabs on Julian Alvarez’s situation at Manchester City.
If a report from Darío Montero G is believed to be true (as cited by El Chiringuito TV), the Argentine forward will ask the Skyblues to sanction his transfer in June. He has been the second fiddle to Erling Haaland all season, also the makeshift wide attacking role does not suit his game as observed so far in all competitions.
The 23-year-old Albicelestes international progressed through the academy ranks of Atlético Calchín and River Plate before breaking into the latter’s first-team squad. He soon secured a key status by exhibiting his mastery in the attacking third and his exquisite run of form earned him a transfer to the Etihad back in the winter of 2022.
Despite returning to River on loan until July, Alvarez did enough to stake a claim in Pep Guardiola’s plans. He scored on his professional debut in a 1-3 defeat against Liverpool in the Community Shield and has so far scored 10 goals in 30 outings. He found the net four times en route to Argentina’s World Cup victory, yet his minutes have been limited as he has mostly featured as a substitute at Manchester City.
Why Barcelona Must Rope Him In
Barcelona, on the other hand, roped in Robert Lewandowski back in the summer. The Polish hitman is showcasing his supremacy with 25 goals and 6 assists in 31 games, however, he failed to deliver in Europe during the decisive outings. The iconic ‘number 9’, currently in his mid-thirties, is slowly approaching the twilight of an illustrious career and the Catalans, too, must find his successor who would replace him in the long run.
The youngster has flourished under Guardiola but, at the same time needs to play regularly to fulfil his potential. Haaland is irreplaceable for his scoring record and Alvarez, therefore, should opt for a fresh start elsewhere. He is not a conventional targetman, rather loves to make runs from behind and offer his mobility high up the pitch. Xavi is working towards restoring the famous ‘tiki-taka’ at his boyhood club and the City prodigy ticks many boxes to script a success story in the forthcoming future.
