Manchester City star Julian Alvarez speaks out on future amid Chelsea and Arsenal transfer links

Julian Alvarez admits he ‘doesn’t like’ being left out of Manchester City’s ‘important games’ by Pep Guardiola and will make a decision over his future after the Paris Olympics.

Alvarez completed a £14million switch from River Plate to City back in 2022 and has gone on to score 36 goals in 103 appearances for the Premier League champions in all competitions.

And while Alvarez racked up the eighth-highest number of minutes for City last season, reports earlier this month claimed the 24-year-old attacker had grown frustrated with his lack of playing time at the Etihad.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal are monitoring the situation and it’s understood City would not block Alvarez from leaving should they receive an offer of £60million, plus £17m in add-ons, for the Argentinian before the transfer deadline.

It’s also been suggested that Alvarez and his family would prefer to live in a warmer climate than Manchester, with Atletico Madrid also credited with an interest this summer.

‘I haven’t stopped to think about what I’m going to do,’ Alvarez told DIRECTV Sports when asked for an update on his future.

‘When this [Argentine’s men’s football campaign at the Olympics] is over I’ll start thinking about what I want for myself. We’ll see how things go.

‘Last season I was one of the players who played the most minutes in the team.

‘But it’s true: in the end, in important games, you don’t like being left out and you want to contribute.’

Alvarez, who has largely played second fiddle to Erling Haaland over the last two seasons, is tied into a contract at the Etihad until 2028.

The attacker played five games of Argentina’s triumphant Copa America campaign earlier this summer and now finds himself in Paris representing his nation at the Olympic Games.

Alvarez and Co, managed by Javier Mascherano, suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Morocco in their opening match before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Iraq to go top of Group B.

‘We continue to move forward despite the loss [to Morocco],’ Alvarez said ahead of Argentina’s clash with Ukraine.

‘Getting used to winning is the best thing, it’s what happens to us in the major leagues, and we hope it applies here too.’

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