Julian Alvarez is close to completing a move from Manchester City to Atlético Madrid in a deal worth over £81million in total, the PA news agency understands.
The deal is not yet fully complete, but it is understood to be made up of a €75 million initial fee and €20m of add-ons and would be a record sale for City.
It represents a significant profit on a player City signed from River Plate in his native Argentina in 2022 for £14m, and underlines City boss Pep Guardiola’s willingness to listen to market-value offers for any of their players.
Alvarez enjoyed astonishing success in his debut 2022-23 season for City. By Christmas of that season, he was a world champion with Argentina, and went on to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League with his new club, who retained the English top-flight title last season.