Julian Alvarez recently did an interview on Manchester City’s official website, recapping his move from River Plate and talking about how he’s getting on in the North-East of the UK.
The 22-year-old revealed his surprise with the quality of new teammate Ilkay Gundogan, praising him for his ball control and ability to retain possession in small spaces.
Alvarez said: “There are a lot of good players here, all of them play beautiful football. Skilful football. The first days I told my family I was very surprised by Ilkay (Gundogan) for how he controls the ball and how he moves in small spaces and his technical skillset.
“I’ve always said I wanted to play with the best players in the world. Well now here at Manchester City but that goes for the national team as well.” Gundogan doesn’t command a regular starting place due to Pep Guardiola preferring Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in his preferred role, but the German international is a talented midfielder with a lot to offer.
The 31-year-old is joint-second in the City squad for Premier League goals this season, second for chances created (2.3 per game on average), second among central midfielders for interceptions (0.6 per game) and second among central midfielders for pass accuracy (89.8% completion).
Gundogan turns 32 next month but is still an important player at City. He’s played in every Premier League and Champions League game this season, scoring two goals with one assist, so it’s not just Alvarez who rates him highly.
In other news, Jack Grealish fires back after Graeme Souness criticism
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