Kyle Walker becomes first Manchester City star to comment on Julian Alvarez’s exit | OneFootball

Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has become the first senior player at the club to comment on the exit of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid this week.

The 24-year-old striker brought an end to his two-year stay at Manchester City this week, having only joined the club in the January transfer window of 2022 before linking-up with the team in the following August for the 2022/23 campaign.

Alvarez’s time with Manchester City was littered with silverware, playing integral roles in the first ever squad to bring the UEFA Champions League trophy to the Etihad Stadium, as well as claiming the Premier League title in four consecutive seasons with back-to-back triumphs.

But ultimately, the lure of a warmer climate and more culturally favourable lifestyle on offer in Madrid was too good to turn down, and Manchester City reached an agreement on a €95 million package that sees Alvarez make the move to Atletico Madrid.

Speaking during a new conversation broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club this week, club captain Kyle Walker spoke at length about Manchester City’s decision to permit an exit for Alvarez to Atletico, which was confirmed earlier this week.

“Obviously he’s going to be a miss,” Walker said. “For how he stepped in when Erling [Haaland] was injured, I think it was phenomenal. Obviously just coming off the success that he had with the World Cup to then hit the form that he did so early was great but, first and foremost, he’s a great guy.”

Walker continued, “And I think that’s what put him above the rest, because sometimes he probably should’ve played when he didn’t, he probably felt that he should’ve played when he didn’t.

“And obviously Erling going and breaking the records that he did, he kind of played second fiddle to him. But he’s got a point to prove now; Atletico have paid a lot of money and invested in him well, Man City have let him go.

“That’s down to the hierarchy and down to Pep, and if they bring somebody in, if they don’t, we have to adapt to that. We’re not going to be here complaining, we’ve played a couple of seasons without an out-and-out centre-forward.”

Kyle Walker closed by issuing a sense of calm in light of the big-money exit, as he said, “Obviously we’ve still got Erling, but whatever Man City do, from here until the summer transfer window shuts, I’m sure it’ll be the right business for the club and for the player.”

It remains to be seen whether Manchester City will look to recruit a direct replacement for Julian Alvarez in the weeks that remain this summer, whether that be in the form of a new support striker, or in terms of added personnel elsewhere in the squad.

The Premier League champions have already been linked to a multitude of players, including a staggering reported agreement with Liverpool’s Luis Diaz. However, City Xtra understand that such claims are wide of the mark and untrue.