Jack Grealish has made his feelings clear on former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez.
Alvarez joined City from River Plate in 2022, but Guardiola often opted to choose Erling Haaland in the biggest games. The Argentine then departed Pep Guardiola’s team last summer after Atletico Madrid completed a deal that could reach £82million with the initial fee thought to have been around £64m.
City failed to replace Alvarez with a like-for-like striker in the summer, with Guardiola instead only bringing in Savinho, who predominantly plays as a right-winger, in the forward areas. That decision has appeared to backfire, though, with City struggling for form and Alvarez shining in Spain with 16 goals already so far this season.
Guardiola has finally addressed the lack of an understudy to Haaland with the January transfer window signing of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush – who has hinted he could even turn out to be a partner for his new Norwegian teammate upfront. But that has not stopped Grealish from sending his congratulations to former teammate Alvarez following his latest impressive performance for Atletico.
And after scoring a brace in Atletico’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night, the 24-year-old received a message from Grealish, his former teammate at the Etihad Stadium. “What a player you juliiiii,” he wrote in a comment on Alvarez’s latest Instagram post which showed him celebrating his goals against Leverkusen.
Speaking in August, Guardiola claimed Alvarez had asked to leave the club because he wanted a new challenge. “It was a joy to work with him,” the Catalan said.
“I learnt a lot from him and hopefully he can find what he was looking for. He believes his period here must be over so both clubs arrive to an agreement.
“He’s incredibly loved by the team for his behaviour but like I said many times for many players, he wants to leave and have a new challenge.”
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has heaped praise on his former teammate Julian Alvarez after the Atletico Madrid star scored a brace in his side’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.
Alvarez, who left Manchester City for Atletico Madrid in the summer, took to Instagram to celebrate his goals, posting a photo of himself in action against Leverkusen.
Grealish, who played alongside Alvarez at Manchester City, was quick to comment on the post, praising his former teammate’s performance.
“What a player you juliiiii,” Grealish wrote in the comment section of Alvarez’s post.
Grealish’s praise for Alvarez is a testament to the strong bond that the two players formed during their time together at Manchester City. Alvarez was a key player for City last season, scoring 15 goals in 33 appearances, and Grealish was a regular starter alongside him.
Despite Alvarez’s departure from Manchester City, it’s clear that Grealish still holds him in high regard, and his praise for the Atletico Madrid star’s performance against Leverkusen is a reflection of the respect that he has for his former teammate’s abilities.
Alvarez’s brace against Leverkusen was his second in as many games for Atletico Madrid, and it has helped to establish him as one of the top scorers in La Liga. The Argentine forward’s form has been impressive since his move to Spain, and it’s clear that he is thriving in his new surroundings.
Grealish’s praise for Alvarez is just the latest example of the strong relationships that exist between players in the football world. Despite Alvarez’s departure from Manchester City, it’s clear that he and Grealish remain close, and their friendship is a testament to the bonds that are formed between teammates in the beautiful game.
