This will be the most massive Premier League fixture, on opening weekend next month, but for now Manchester City faces Chelsea FC in match that doesn’t really count. The talk pertaining to Man City centers around the back and forth between forward Julian Alvarez and manager Pep Guardiola.
Alvarez is not with the team on their USA preseason tour, as he’s instead representing Argentina at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Manchester City vs Chelsea FC FYIs
Kick off: 5:30 pm ET, Sat. Aug 3, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Competition: club friendly, branded the “FC Series”
Team News: Chelsea Man City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Man City
TV: ESPN
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
This coming on the heels of his first international tour of duty this summer, which saw his national side repeat as Copa America champions.
Alvarez has been linked with an exit from City this summer, as reports emerged that he declined the club’s offer of a four year extension.
Speaking to DSports Radio he said:
“I haven’t stopped to think about what I’m going to do. Last season I was one of the players who played the most minutes in the team.
“But it’s true: in the end, in some important games, it’s not pleasant to be left out. I will have time to consider my decision. I haven’t stopped to think things through calmly. Once the Olympic Games are over, I will take the time to reflect on what I want for myself.”
When Pep was quizzed by a journalist on this topic, he responded with:
“I don’t think about replacing. I knew he said he will think about it. Once he has finished thinking, his agent will call Txiki [Begiristain] and we will see what happens.
“I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too.
“We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games. I read he has to think about it, so okay think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do.”
To Alvarez then responding to the response with:
“I heard what Guardiola said. I don’t have much to say about it. I never said anything bad. I just said that I was going to think about it like I do every season to make an analysis of what happened last season, a projection of what may come.
“I always say that I am comfortable and happy at City, which is a great club. So I didn’t say anything bad.”
So there you go: it’s he said/he-said/he said.
If this article reads more like a transfer gossip column than a Team News article, well, there really isn’t any right now.
The Cityzens emerged unscathed, injury wise, from their draw (which they then lost on penalties) with FC Barcelona in Orlando last night.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.