Julian Alvarez expresses Real Madrid and Inter Milan disappointment in reflection on Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez has opened up on his departure from Manchester City having enjoyed an impressive start to life in Spain.

The versatile 25-year-old striker was a pivotal cog in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side for two years since he joined the ranks from Argentinian giants River Plate back in the summer of 2022.

A historic treble in his first season at the Etihad Stadium and another Premier League title last summer meant the World Cup winner left England with a trophy cabinet most professionals could only dream of at the end of their careers.

Now, in an interview with Infobae, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Julian Alvarez has reflected upon his silverware-laden spell in Manchester and detailed his thinking behind a lucrative switch to Atletico Madrid.

“The truth is that at (Manchester) City, since I arrived, they trusted me. They brought me from River (Plate) to Europe,” the striker said, speaking amid a hot-streak of scoring form for the La Liga club at present.

He continued, “I played a lot of games, I scored a lot of goals, we won titles. That was perfect. And if I had stayed there, I would have been comfortable too. I’ve always said I’m very grateful to the club, but I did need something.”

Despite his form, versatility and consistency throughout his time at Manchester City, Julian Alvarez was often left on the bench in favour of talisman Erling Haaland, which meant the Argentine did not start key Premier League and Champions League ties in the Blues’ run-ins.

The forward added, “Something inside me told me that I needed a different challenge, to look for something new, which wasn’t motivation, because I’ll always want to go on for more, but something I don’t know. A different challenge in my career.

“And I felt that this could be my place to develop myself better, to find my best version of myself as a footballer. So, it was a bit like that.”

Julian Alvarez scored 36 times and provided 17 assists in 106 outings across all competitions over two seasons for Manchester City, and his stock was high as ever when the four-in-a-row Premier League champions negotiated a fee with Atletico Madrid worth £81.5 million.

“You do want to play in the most important matches. Like I said, I don’t know, in the final of the Champions League (vs Inter Milan in 2023) – I didn’t get in,” Julian Alvarez said.

“I didn’t play long in the semi-final (vs Real Madrid) – and I would have liked to have played in those kinds of games. That’s what I was saying before and that’s why I think about the change.”

In his debut season at the Wanda Metropolitano, Julian Alvarez has spearheaded Atletico Madrid’s charge in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, scoring 25 times already in 39 appearances across all competitions for the Spanish outfit.