'I didn't say anything bad': Julian Alvarez defends himself from Pep Guardiola's reaction

Julian Alvarez‘s future at Manchester City looks up in the air as the Argentine star lacks playing time under Pep Guardiola. The striker recently fueled rumors about a potential departure as he’ll be thinking about what to do next after the Olympics.

Pep Guardiola reacted to Alvarez’s comments about his Man City future with a cold statement, claiming there are many other players on the squad who also want to play in the big games.

Speaking to Gaston Edul of TyC Sports after Argentina’s win over Ukraine at Paris 2024, Alvarez revealed he heard what Guardiola had to say and set the record straight on this situation.

“I just said I need to think, as I always do after every season to make balance. I always say I’m comfortable at Man City, it’s a great club, so I didn’t say anything bad,” Alvarez said.

Julian Alvarez of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Burnley FC at Etihad Stadium on January 31, 2024 in Manchester, England.

What did Julian Alvarez say about his playing time and future at Manchester City?

Speaking to DSports and TyC Sports in France, where he’s representing Argentina at the Olympics, Alvarez admitted being a bit frustrated with his lack of minutes in the biggest moments of the season with Manchester City. In fact, he’ll be considering whether to stay at the club once he concludes his Olympic participation.

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“Last season, I was one of the players with the most minutes in the team in the Premier League, but it’s true that in some important games, it’s not pleasant to be left out. I will have time to consider my decision,” Alvarez said. “I haven’t stopped to think things through calmly. Once the Olympic Games are over, I will take the time to reflect on what I want for myself.“

How did Pep Guardiola react to Alvarez’s comments on his playing time and future at Man City?

While Alvarez’s comments made noise, Guardiola added even more fuel to the fire with a firm reaction to the Argentine striker’s comments, refusing to tell whether he plans to give Julian more playing time.

“I don’t think about replacing (him), but I knew that he said that he’s going to think about it,” Guardiola said. “When he finishes to think about it, his agent is going to call Txiki (Begiristain), and we’re going to see what happens.

“I know he wants to play in important moments, yeah, but the other ones too. We have 18, 19 players as well that want to play in important games. I read that he has to think about it, OK, think about it. And after that, he will inform us what he wants to do. Yeah, he played a lot. If he wants more, it’s fine. That’s why; think about it. And when he has think about it, he will inform us.”