Manchester City are 'concerned' that they may lose Julian Alvarez this summer amid reported interest from clubs including Atletico Madrid.
The 24-year-old arrived at the Etihad Stadium in July 2022 from boyhood club River Plate and has already won six trophies with the Citizens, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League.
Alvarez has recorded 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 appearances for Man City across all competitions, contributing with 19 goals and 13 assists in 54 games for Pep Guardiola's side last season.
However, the Argentina international has predominantly had to play second fiddle to star striker Erling Haaland and has subsequently been forced to either watch on as a substitute or play behind his Norwegian teammate in a deeper attacking role.
Speculation over Alvarez's future has been rife in recent weeks and one report claims that the forward has asked to leave the club after turning down a contract extension at the end of last season.
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Alvarez keen to leave Man City this summer?
Alvarez has previously stated that he is "comfortable and happy at City", but it now appears that he wants to depart this summer and has allegedly demanded that the Premier League champions set a 'logical' asking price for potential suitors.
Atletico Madrid have been strongly linked with a move for Alvarez and are now on the lookout for a new striker as Alvaro Morata is on the verge of joining AC Milan.
The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Barcelona have also been credited with an interest in Alvarez, who still has four years remaining on his existing contract at the Etihad.
In light of increasing speculation surrounding the future of Alvarez, journalist Dean Jones claims that there is "concern" at Man City about losing their No.19, who is said to be valued by the Citizens in excess of £80m.
"The Atletico links to Alvarez are to be taken seriously, there is a certain degree of concern at City about this one," Jones told Give Me Sport as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
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Alvarez 'intrigued' by potential La Liga move
"They don't want to lose him, far from it, but I am told that the player fancies it and when that is the case you never know what could happen.
"In terms of value, City would rate him upwards of £80m so that definitely adds to the difficulty Atletico would have with pulling off a deal like this. I have seen reports suggesting a loan but I don't know how that would be tempting to City.
"Chelsea are being linked too and definitely have a level of interest, but the pull of living in Madrid and playing in La Liga is believed to have real intrigue for Alvarez."
Man City are understood to be determined to keep hold of Alvarez and are set to hold talks with the forward about his future when he returns from international duty.
Alvarez was part of the Argentina squad that retained their Copa America title earlier this month and he is now preparing to represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, meaning that he is set to miss the majority of Man City's pre-season ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, including their tour of the United States.
Oliver Thomas
