275 games in 1247 days - Man City must consider Plan C transfer move

When Julian Alvarez sent his penalty flying into the top corner in Houston overnight, he steadied Argentina's Copa America hopes after a turbulent quarter final vs Ecuador.

Alvarez was introduced in the second half as Argentina led, but a late Ecuador equaliser sent the game to penalties when Lionel Messi missed the first spot kick. Luckily for Argentina, so did Ecuador, with Alvarez stepping up next to confidently give his nation the lead.

A 4-2 shoot-out win followed, sending Argentina into the last four where they will fancy their chances of reaching the final as Canada or Venezuela await in the semi-finals. A final appearance would be Alvarez's 71st game of a long season, and would be only a week before he jets back to Europe to represent Argentina in the Paris Olympics.

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Manchester City will be delighted if Alvarez can add yet another major trophy to his bulging collection, but an extra week off could have done wonders to a player who simply doesn't get time off. It was fitting that the quarter-final took place at the NRG Stadium in Houston, as that was the site of his first outing as a City player in 2022.

Just under two years later, and Alvarez has played 134 games since. He came into that pre-season in the USA having already played 27 games for River Plate and Argentina since February 2022. With a place in the Argentine Olympics squad in a tournament beginning a week after the Copa America ends, Alvarez could play six games in France over the next month, before an 11-month season with City that could last 85 games.

So from February 2022 to July 2025, Alvarez could play 254 games, including friendlies, in just 1247 days. That is an average of 72 games a year, at a rate of one appearance every 4.9 days.

Add the 21 games for club and country when he was an unused substitute, and he has warmed up for 182 games in the last two-and-a-half years at a rate of one every 4.8 days. That also includes 13 trips to South America or other long-haul destinations on international duty, and two pre-season tours with City.

Alvarez simply hasn't had a rest, and could feasibly be looking at just ten weeks rest in those three-and-a-half years. He will certainly miss the start of the season for City given his Olympics involvement, putting pressure on Erling Haaland to take advantage of his own summer off and full pre-season to carry the attacking mantle for the next few weeks.

He has played regularly for two seasons, so that isn't a major issue - but if Alvarez is City's 'Plan B' in attack, could it be worth exploring the signing of a Plan C given his endless schedule?

Signing a third-choice striker might be a tough sell to a prospective new player, so an alternative could be to revisit the False Nine tactic that served Guardiola well before Haaland's arrival. Phil Foden could play centrally in the false nine role, as could Bernardo Silva. And in turn, they may need cover of their own in attacking midfield. Savio, expected to sign, could fill that brief.

With the new season fast approaching and still no signings - the need to strengthen in all positions continues to be evident.