Julian Alvarez’s agent claims Manchester City’s Premier League rivals tried to sign him before Atletico Madrid switch

Julian Alvarez's agent has confirmed that his former club Manchester City's rivals Liverpool were interested in signing him last summer. The Argentine left the Sky Blues to sign for LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid for a reported €75 million.

Alvarez is often considered among the most promising young forwards in football today. While in Manchester City, Alvarez was usually considered a backup striker to Erling Haaland, leading to a lack of game time. Since joining Los Colchoneros, the Argentine has been a regular starter, contributing 22 goals and five assists in 43 outings across competitions.

In an interview with Winwin.com, Julian Alvarez's agent Fernando Hidalgo claimed that Liverpool were interested in signing the 25-year-old from Manchester City last summer. He said (via Rousing The Kop):

"I confirm that Liverpool were interested in Julian last season. As for the future, it’s not the right time to talk about it, because Julian is participating in important tournaments and is fully focused on them."

Liverpool has been in dire need of a good striker, especially with Darwin Nunez not performing up to the mark. The Uruguayan will reportedly be on his way out this summer. Further, Luis Diaz's future is also not guaranteed with links to other European giants. Diogo Jota remains an option, but Arne Slot is keen on signing new attackers for next season.

There is little chance of Julian Alvarez switching back to the Premier League this summer as it's only been a season since he joined Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish giants paid a lucrative amount to secure his services last summer and would not be willing to offload him anytime soon, given his performances. However, he may have been a great fit for the Reds owing to his versatility and creativity as an attacker.

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"He said he wants a new challenge" - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Julian Alvarez's departure

Alvarez and Guardiola (L to R) - Source: Getty

In a press conference last year, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola opened up about Julian Alvarez's departure from the club. The Catalan coach indicated that Alvarez did not want to stay and said (via ESPN):

"If you are not happy, why should you be here? He's incredibly loved by the team for his behavior, but like I said many times of the players, if he wants to leave and wants a new challenge -- Atlético is a top club in Spain and in Europe -- and when they suggested to me through the club that he wanted to leave, I said it was OK. Imagine he stays when he doesn't want to stay?"

Guardiola further noted that Julian Alvarez did play in important games for Manchester City in his last season.

"He said he wants a new challenge and he feels it is what he has to do. Last season he played a lot and in some moments he played with Erling [Haaland] but I understand in some important moments maybe he thought he was going to play. I respect him a lot," he added.

Julian Alvarez had an incredibly successful run with Manchester City and was a part of their 2022-23 treble-winning squad. He won two Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League among other honors with the club.