Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola has recently hinted at a desire to bring back a former player to the Etihad Stadium. Speaking ahead of City’s game against Everton, Guardiola openly admitted that he would "love" to have Julian Alvarez back in his squad.

Alvarez, who now plays for Atletico Madrid, left Manchester City last summer in search of more playing time. Guardiola acknowledged Alvarez's need to compete with Erling Haaland at City, which ultimately led to his departure. "Julian had to compete with Erling (Haaland), which was something extraordinary for us," Guardiola stated. He continued, "Julian Alvarez is top. That's why now he's at one of the best clubs in the world, Atleti, playing for a top-class manager, players, performing unbelievably".

Since joining Atletico, Alvarez has made a significant impact, scoring six goals in his opening eight league games. Despite Atletico's somewhat slow start to the season, Alvarez's individual performances have clearly caught Guardiola's eye.

Guardiola’s admiration for Alvarez isn’t new. Even after Alvarez's departure, City did not sign a direct replacement, only securing winger Savinho from Girona and re-signing Ilkay Gundogan following his release from Barcelona. The versatility and work ethic that Alvarez offered were missed, highlighting the initial regret of letting the player go.

The City boss also reflected on other players who had left the club in search of more playing time, including Aymeric Laporte, who departed for Al-Nassr in 2023. Guardiola acknowledged the difficulty of keeping every player happy, especially those who are regulars for their national teams. "The Treble year, do you remember the players I left on the bench? Aymeric Laporte, an incredible central defender and a regular for the national team, Julian and others who I would love to have now, but they wanted to play more and left," Guardiola said.

However, re-signing a player isn't always straightforward. Guardiola himself admitted to having reservations about re-signing older players but made an exception for Ilkay Gundogan, when Barcelona wanted to get him off their wage bill. Gundogan returned to Manchester City from Barcelona on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal with the option of another year. Guardiola stated, "As a manager, I'm not a big, big fan of re-signing players with this age, but I know him quite well and his mentality is right".

Whether a similar move could materialize for Alvarez remains to be seen, but Guardiola's recent comments indicate a clear appreciation for the player's abilities and a potential willingness to bring him back to Manchester City.