Pep Guardiola Breaks Silence on Manchester City's Links With Julian Alvarez

On Friday, a flurry of reports from both Argentina and England claimed that Manchester City were in talks to sign Julian Alvarez from River Plate, with the 21-year-old out of contract in December. 

The centre-forward, who recorded 39 direct goal involvements in 46 appearances for River Plate in 2021, has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan in the past month. 

However, the current Premier League Champions are reportedly 'confident' of signing the 21-year-old striker in a £21 million move before the close of the January transfer window. 

City have been linked with both Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic after failing to secure the signature of Harry Kane from Spurs to replace all-time top goalscorer Sergio Agüero in the summer. 

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Friday that the Blues were now in 'advanced talks' with River Plate for their star striker, with Alvarez named the South American Footballer of the Year in 2021 for his performances with the Argentinian club. 

Should the deal be completed, Alvarez is not expected to move to the Etihad Stadium until at least the summer, with it widely claimed that River Plate are hoping to keep hold of the 21-year-old for six months longer. 

Despite all the reports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped when asked about the Argentine forward on Saturday evening. 

Speaking to Sky Sports following the Blues' 1-1 draw with Southampton in the Premier League, the Catalan said, "I don't have any info about the club, anything. Not one word. I don't know anything. I don't have any info about the club..."