Silva said of the 2022 World Cup winner: “I miss him a lot because he is an exceptional team-mate and I am very fond of him. I am very happy that he is doing well. He is a wonderful guy, and he deserves everything.
“Whenever I see Julián score a goal, I’m very happy for him; he’s doing very well. Atlético de Madrid is having a very good season. I am very happy for him.”
Alvarez registered an impressive 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 appearances for City. His impact was such that manager Guardiola admitted his sale might come back to haunt him, referring to it as a potential “mistake”.
Ahead of the trip to West Ham back in late August, the Catalan tactician said: “I’m happy with the squad. We didn’t expect Julian was leaving, although he had conversations a long time ago with other clubs and his agent, so it could happen and in the end it happened.
“We saw what we have, if we have many, many injuries it will be a problem, but in a few months Oscar Bobb will be back and Phil [Foden] is in that position, [James] McAtee can play in that position, [Ilkay] Gundogan can play in that position, Bernardo [Silva]…
“They are different players to Erling of course. Maybe it is a mistake, I don’t know but I don’t like leaving players without playing for a long time. When everyone is involved with a chance to play, the performance of the teams is always better.”
Alvarez is not the only attacking talent City have ended up really regretting letting go in recent times, as Cole Palmer similarly has shone away from the Etihad since switching to Chelsea.
After a slow start to the season, Alvarez has been especially effective in the Champions League for Atletico. Six of his 16 goals have come in Europe, while he has also managed three assists in all competitions as Atletico closed the gap to one point on La Liga leaders Real Madrid at the weekend.
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has revealed that he misses his former team-mate Julian Alvarez, who left the club in a surprise £81 million move.
In an honest interview, Silva admitted that he was sad to see Alvarez go, describing the Argentine striker as a “great player” and a “good friend”.
“I miss Julian, he was a great player and a good friend,” Silva said. “We had a good connection on and off the pitch, and I was sad to see him go.”
Silva’s comments come after Alvarez’s departure from Manchester City was labeled a “mistake” by many fans and pundits. The Argentine striker had been in impressive form for the club before his surprise exit.
Despite Alvarez’s departure, Silva is confident that Manchester City can continue to thrive without him. “We have a strong squad and we can still achieve great things without Julian,” he said.
However, Silva’s comments are a testament to the close bond that he and Alvarez had formed during their time together at Manchester City. The Portuguese midfielder will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on Alvarez’s progress at his new club.
