Julian Alvarez could be about to face his biggest Man City test yet

No one expected Julian Alvarez to have the impact he's had at Manchester City, except perhaps Pep Guardiola and Alvarez himself.

When it was announced City had captured the next great South American talent in January 2022 but he would remain at River Plate for the rest of the season it looked like a familiar story. The Blues had moved to hoover up an interesting player with significant potential but it seemed unlikely he would be lining up in Guardiola's side any time soon, if ever.

It's been the fate of what must be hundreds of young players across the world and many thought Alvarez would join them on loan. There was interest but chief executive Ferran Soriano revealed it would be a different story for him back in May. He said: "We've had many offers from clubs to loan Julian Alvarez, but he is not going to leave. He will do pre-season with us and I think he will stay."

Still, not many thought he would play a significant role in the season to come.

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But then he was handed the No.19 shirt. Then Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling were allowed to leave without any wide forwards being drafted in to replace them. It quickly became apparent just how highly Alvarez was rated and that he wouldn't only be sticking around but he would become an important player.

He scored with just a minute on the pitch on his debut in the Community Shield defeat to Liverpool and has now notched up 12 goals and four assists in his debut campaign in England. It's made even more impressive by the fact he had had to bide his time for a starting place given the remarkable form of Erling Haaland.

Alvarez has impressed but it still feels like the best is