“Julian deserves now” – Pep Guardiola provides update on Alvarez’s Manchester City future after Olympics exit | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered the very latest on the future of Julian Alvarez following his exit from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The 24-year-old’s hopes of making it back-to-back tournament wins with Argentina this summer were brought to a halt at the quarter-final stage of the ongoing Olympic Games in France this week, with the hosts recording a statement victory.

As such, Julian Alvarez will now finally embark on a minimum three-week compulsory holiday period, before potentially returning to Manchester City duties by the middle of September, due to another international break being his first opportunity of match action after a break.

But there remains major question marks over which club Julian Alvarez will be associated with by the time he is eligible to return to club duties, amid an interest from the player’s part to seek a new challenge and opportunity to lead the line from striker in Europe.

Despite increasing talk of progressing negotiations from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid throughout Friday, Pep Guardiola was unable to offer any developments on the 24-year-old’s continuously uncertain future.

“No news. I don’t have any news,” the Manchester City manager clarified whilst addressing the media from Columbus, Ohio ahead of the club’s final pre-season contest of their 2024 United States tour.

Guardiola continued, “Look, Julian (Alvarez) deserves now to take his time what he needs, to come back clean. Not just in the legs – the people say it’s the legs – it’s especially stuff here (in the mind).

“Because playing every three days in front of 65, 70,000 people, or 50, 55,000 people is so exhausting; for the responsibility, to do well. And any one of us, in front of 65,000 (people), you don’t want to perform bad.

“And it demands a lot, a lot of energy, not just physicality, the people don’t understand it. And that’s why they need breaks, and that’s why they need holidays and they could not come here. The fans would love it, I would love it, but the players need rest.”

Despite the 2023/24 season being Julian Alvarez’s most productive in a Manchester City shirt, most of his appearances came from the advanced midfield position. And with Erling Haaland unlikely to relinquish striking duties any time soon, a move may be necessary.

Atletico Madrid are seemingly willing to hand the former River Plate man the keys to the lone striker position in Diego Simeone’s line-up, but it remains to be seen whether Colchoneros will be able to finance a deal at the demands set by the Premier League champions this summer.