Manchester City’s £81m ‘mistake’ is beating Erling Haaland as incredible Champions League statistic emerges
Manchester City’s summer transfer business still haunts them as one of their former stars continues to light up the Champions League. Julian Alvarez completed a summer transfer to Atletico Madrid worth £81million in what remains a record sale for City. Alvarez may well be the most prolific player in Champions League historyGetty Although his form in LaLiga has fluctuated, the Argentine has found himself excelling in the Champions League this season. The 24-year-old has scored six goals in seven outings to help Atletico rise into the top eight and close in on the last 16. His overall Champions League record is also impressive, with 14 goals and four assists coming in 24 appearances for City and Atletico. Alvarez has averaged a goal or an assist every 70 minutes during his time in Europe’s elite club competition. This is the best minutes per goal involvement ratio of any player with 1000+ minutes played in the competition. Sitting narrowly behind Alvarez is former teammate Erling Haaland, whose output average sits at 71 minutes. Haaland boasts a much more impressive total tally in the Champions League having scored 47 goals and assisted five in 46 matches. These have come at Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and, of course, City, but his numbers could have improved if Alvarez stayed. Reflecting on his team at the end of the summer transfer window, manager Pep Guardiola 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. Alvarez has an excellent record on the big stage in European footballGetty Haaland is also up there with the best but just misses out on top spotGetty “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 won the Champions League with City in 2023 but has seen his former club endure a dismal campaign this season. They sit 25th in the league phase and are at real risk of elimination from the competition entirely after only two wins from seven. Last week’s heavy 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has left them two points adrift of the play-off positions ahead of their final match. Guardiola hinted that selling Alvarez may have been a mistakeGetty City host Club Brugge tonight, live on talkSPORT, in hope of reviving their chances of reaching the knockout stages. Anything but a win would see one of the previous tournament favourites crash out of the Champions League with a whimper.
Manchester City’s summer transfer business still haunts them as one of their former stars continues to light up the Champions League.
Julian Alvarez completed a summer transfer to Atletico Madrid worth £81million in what remains a record sale for City.
Although his form in LaLiga has fluctuated, the Argentine has found himself excelling in the Champions League this season.
The 24-year-old has scored six goals in seven outings to help Atletico rise into the top eight and close in on the last 16.
His overall Champions League record is also impressive, with 14 goals and four assists coming in 24 appearances for City and Atletico.
Alvarez has averaged a goal or an assist every 70 minutes during his time in Europe’s elite club competition.
This is the best minutes per goal involvement ratio of any player with 1000+ minutes played in the competition.
Sitting narrowly behind Alvarez is former teammate Erling Haaland, whose output average sits at 71 minutes.
Haaland boasts a much more impressive total tally in the Champions League having scored 47 goals and assisted five in 46 matches.
These have come at Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and, of course, City, but his numbers could have improved if Alvarez stayed.
Reflecting on his team at the end of the summer transfer window, manager Pep Guardiola 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 won the Champions League with City in 2023 but has seen his former club endure a dismal campaign this season.
They sit 25th in the league phase and are at real risk of elimination from the competition entirely after only two wins from seven.
Last week’s heavy 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has left them two points adrift of the play-off positions ahead of their final match.
City host Club Brugge tonight, live on talkSPORT, in hope of reviving their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
Anything but a win would see one of the previous tournament favourites crash out of the Champions League with a whimper.
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