Julián Alvarez has told Saturday’s edition of Marca that it wasn’t easy for him to leave Manchester City for Atlético Madrid in the summer window.
The striker spent two seasons at the Etihad, winning the treble in his debut season and the title last season.
Alvarez managed 36 goals and 18 assists from 106 matches for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola favoured Erling Haaland ahead of him to lead the Citizens’ attack.
The Argentina international arrived at the La Liga side for a prominent role and has been able to do that so far, managing 12 goals and two assists from 25 games.
Diego Simeone’s side invested €70m to secure the Copa América winner’s services in the last window.
Back in June, Marca were the first to report about Los Rojiblancos’ interest in the 24-year-old. The Spanish newspaper now asked him what he went through when he came across their report.
“Yes, I saw little because when there was talk, I was at the Copa América and then at the Olympic Games. There it started to be heard a little more and that’s when I more or less had some conversations with Giuliano [Simeone] at the Olympic Games,” he said.
“Rodri [De Paul], Grizi, El Cholo spoke to me at that time… And well, it was not an easy decision. But well, I was thinking about it, I was talking about it with my family and in the end it happened.”
The newspaper immediately asked the frontman if the chat with some of his compatriots influenced his decision to leave Manchester City for Atlético.
When responding to that, he explained several people made him feel loved and that was vital in his decision to pick the Madrid club.
“Yes, to feel loved, to be asked for, to be loved? That makes you very happy, it makes you feel loved. Obviously, coming to a place with people you already know and where there are several Argentinians also helps a lot. And well, it was also a key part of making that decision,” Alvarez explained.
The former Manchester City star played with Diego Simeone’s son, Giuliano, for Argentina at the Paris Olympics in the summer. Both father and son played an important role in Alvarez’s arrival at the Metropolitano.
Marca claim the World Cup winner informed Giuliano that he’d join Atlético and to tell his father to stop contacting him.
“Yes, they were together every day. I saw Giuliano and El Cholo sent me messages. Either he was calling me or if it wasn’t Giuliano who was telling me, El Cholo told me such a thing. And so, on a daily basis, they were very intense days,” he added.
They then asked the South American to elaborate about the messages from Diego and how he seduced him.
“He told me that he could give the club a very big hand, that it would have the space and the opportunity. I told him that I wanted to be in a place where they give me that space to try to achieve my best version as a footballer,” the attacker added.
“And well, I saw the possibility in Atlético de Madrid thanks to what I have spoken with them. So far things have been going well, we will see what happens in the future.”
On rejecting PSG’s higher offer of €10m per year to join the Madrid club, Alvarez said: “Well, the decision was a bit based on what he said. I felt through what they told me that they were giving me that space, that affection. I also saw the enthusiasm of the people, they made me feel very loved.
“Furthermore, for the Argentines who were already here, for knowing the language, for being a country a little more similar to what Argentina is compared to France or England… They are small things, but they add up when it comes to one has to make a decision.”
