Man City 'plan to open talks' over Julian Alvarez future and other transfer rumours

Manchester City are 'planning to open talks' and reward Julian Alvarez with a new contract after the player's performances so far this season.

Alvarez, 23, only penned a five-and-a-half year contract just over 12 months ago after the club completed the signing of the Argentina international from River Plate on that January's transfer deadline day. After spending the rest of that season on loan in his homeland, Alvarez has enjoyed a productive first campaign playing for City to date.

The forward has scored nine goals in just shy of 30 appearances across all competitions for the club. At the World Cup in Qatar, another four were also added to that tally as part of Argentina's triumph.

READ MORE: City issue update on Gundogan contract situation

And Alvarez may not be the only set for talks, as the Mirroralso report that City will sit down with several other squad members after the end of this season. One of those named is club captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is out of contract this summer, but, as opposed to Alvarez, there is 'reluctance' to agree to what the 32-year-old wants, which is a two-year extension.

It is added that the midfielder is 'attracting interest from Spain and Germany', which tallies with reports coming from the Spanish daily sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo. They claim that Barcelona are in 'frequent' contact with the player's entourage.

No pre-contract agreement exists at this stage, the club claim, but the publication's sources admit that a free transfer this summer 'is a very likely option'. Bernardo Silva, whose contract expires in two years' time, is also described in the report as 'the great Barca dream' for the third straight summer, with the player's intention to return to the Iberian Peninsula