“Shocking”Man City signed an Italian player  to replace Julian Alvarez with news expected in the near future.

“Shocking”Man City signed an Italian player  to replace Julian Alvarez with news expected in the near future.

In the past, Manchester City are one of the few clubs in world football who have replaced their key players in a way where their absence has not been sorely felt by the club.

Perhaps the standout example of City’s brilliant succession planning emerged when one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, Sergio Aguero left the club in 2021 and just a year later, they waited to sign Erling Haaland.

Considering Aguero’s exit meant it seemed like a virtually impossible task to find the rightful successor to his throne, it’s safe to say Pep Guardiola’s side did a terrific job by signing a talent of Haaland’s ilk.

Similarly, Manchester City seemingly realised that Fernandinho did not have many more years left at the elite level and despite him still being at the club in 2019, they decided to sign Rodri.

In the Spaniard’s first two seasons, it felt like while City had a quality player on their hands, replacing the Brazilian in the long-term could be too challenging a task for even some of the best recruits in world football.

But as things stand, Rodri should win the Ballon d’Or, as per Stewart Robson — emphasising how tremendous a signing he has been for the Sky Blues.

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Manchester City will have to come up with yet another such solution if Julian Alvarez departs the Etihad Stadium this summer, as his importance to the side cannot be overestimated.

On Monday, Fabrizio Romano reported that Atletico Madrid CEO Gil Martin was “in direct contact” with City as he was negotiating the World Cup winner’s move to the Spanish capital.

Journalist David Ornstein also claimed that Alvarez was close to agreeing a deal with Diego Simeone’s side.

READ MORE: Who is Julian Alvarez? Get to know Man City’s World Cup hero they signed for just £14m

Julian Alvarez (R) of Manchester City in action with team-mate Ederson during a training session ahead of the UEFA Super Cup 2023 at Karaiskakis St…

Man City explore solutions amid Julian Alvarez exit links

The 24-year-old is one of the best strikers in Europe and more importantly, a player who has looked at home in Pep Guardiola’s system as well as in the Premier League from the very start — making him quite difficult to replace.

The Argentine’s eye for goal, astute movement and powerful striking of the ball are traits that are not easy to find in a market where there is a dearth of top-quality strikers.

However, it seems like Diego Simeone is set to have the luxury of having both the former River Plate striker and Alexander Sorloth at his disposal.

As per a report by The Athletic, several possibilities could emerge if Alvarez indeed bids farewell to Manchester City, with news around his future expected by the end of the week.

Firstly, it has been claimed that the Sky Blues could make a move for a senior international.

While City have been linked with Joao Felix’s signature, the report states that they are uninterested in signing him.

As for Eberechi Eze, it has been stated that despite Manchester City being very interested in signing him last summer, there have been no recent steps taken to sign him from Crystal Palace.

If Manchester City were to receive a lump sum fee for Alvarez, it is claimed that while they could explore a potential move for Bruno Guimaraes, the reason why they chose not to ramp up their interest was due to his value and not because they could not afford the transfer.

As a result, the fee they could receive from Alvarez’s sale would not impact their interest in Guimaraes’ signature and as a result, it is not expected to play a role in them reigniting their desire for his services.

However, James McAtee, who is set to be in Manchester City’s first-team next season could get much more of an opportunity in the senior side than perhaps initially predicted if the Copa America winner departs.