How Man City plan to replace Atletico Madrid-bound Julian Alvarez | OneFootball

Manchester City will not necessarily dip into the transfer market to replace Julian Alvarez, preferring to promote from within to fill the Atletico Madrid-bound Argentine's place in the squad.

Alvarez is on the cusp of an £81.5m transfer just two years after his arrival from River Plate, having significantly contributed to City's success during that time with 54 goals and assists in 103 games.

He performed in multiple positions and was the first point of cover for both Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom missed games through injury in 2023/24. But 90min understands that, rather than quickly going out and spending their windfall on a direct replacement, City's priority is to assess their internal options and reward existing players with more game time.

Academy graduate James McAtee has already been touted for a role by Pep Guardiola, having given a glowing review of the 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who can operate as a false nine, last month.

"I would love to keep him next season with us, because he's a special guy to play in small spaces, in the pockets, and we don't have many," the manager said. "He's a player I have a high, high opinion of, and I would like if he can insert properly with the team."

James McAtee is on course to benefit / Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/GettyImages

McAtee spent the last two seasons on loan with Sheffield United across the Championship and Premier League, gaining invaluable first-team experience in 75 appearances.

New signing Savinho is another option to cover the shortfall from Alvarez's exit, as is Oscar Bobb. The latter is admired by Chelsea, but City don't wish to sell and the situation is not the same as Cole Palmer's last summer as the 21-year-old Norwegian already sees an opportunity to play more.

City didn't ideally want to lose Alvarez, although the £81.5m fee for someone who wanted to leave is ultimately good business because it is almost six times the £14m they originally paid in 2022.

There had been speculation about a potential swap deal with Atletico Madrid involving Joao Felix, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona. But there was never any discussion over such a deal, while the money coming in could be reinvested in a midfielder instead. Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, who has become a cult hero at St James' Park and is a symbol of the club's rapid rise from relegation scraps into European contention, is still of interest to City.