Atletico Madrid Completes Signing of Julian Alvarez from Manchester City for £81.5m

Atletico Madrid has successfully secured Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez on a six-year contract for a total fee nearing £82 million, making it a record sale for the Premier League champions. Diego Simeone’s Spanish side will pay Manchester City an initial £64.4 million (€75 million) with an additional £17.1 million (€20 million) in potential add-ons for the 24-year-old Argentina international. This is prepared by SSP.

Alvarez’s departure from City marks a club-record transfer fee, surpassing the £50 million received from Chelsea for Raheem Sterling in 2022. Manchester City paid River Plate £14.1 million for Alvarez in January 2022.

During his two-year tenure with Manchester City, where he won six major trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and a treble-winning debut season, Alvarez scored 36 goals in 106 appearances. His contributions also clinched the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America goals for Argentina.

In a heartfelt farewell, Alvarez expressed his strong emotional ties to the club: "Today I say goodbye to this amazing club, with a lot of emotion. These have been two very special years. During this time, I have grown and learned a lot - both as a player and as a person."

City Director of Football Txiki Begiristain praised Alvarez by saying, "The trophies he has won already tell their own story - he is a winner. I look forward to watching him develop further in the remainder of his career."

Atletico Madrid opened their La Liga season by visiting Villarreal on August 19, while Manchester City commenced their Premier League campaign with a match against Chelsea. The Argentina striker, who replaced Alvaro Morata in Atletico's forward line after Morata joined AC Milan, also expressed gratitude towards his teammates, technical staff, and fans for their unwavering support, adding that Manchester City will always have a special place in his heart.