Manchester City kicked off their latest defence of the Premier League title with a relatively comfortable 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Erling Haaland, of course, scored the first goal of the season for Pep Guardiola's side by bulldozing his way into the box and brilliantly lifting the ball over and past Robert Sanchez.
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic then showed his former employers what they have been missing with a terrific interception, drive forwards, and finish from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 in the second half.
It was not a perfect performance from City, who were troubled and needed Ruben Dias and Ederson at times to keep the Blues at bay, but it was enough to secure all three points.
Savinho made his debut on the flank but was substituted with a minor injury concern at half-time and there could be more debuts to come for City, as they are reportedly in the market to bolster their squad.
Julian Alvarez recently completed his permanent move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and the Cityzens are now reportedly looking to take a player away from LaLiga, having just sent the Argentina international to Spain.
Man City's interest in Real Madrid star
According to Football Insider, Manchester City are lining up a swoop to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Brazil international is on the club's radar as they weigh up what to do in the next ten days or so before the deadline passes.
It states that the Cityzens are considering their options after Oscar Bobb broke his leg and Savinho suffered a fitness concern against Chelsea on Sunday.
Football Insider reveals that Guardiola did not want to lose Alvarez to Atletico Madrid this summer and his exit could tempt the club to dip into the market to secure a replacement.
The outlet claims that Rodrygo is one of the players the Premier League champions are interested in signing and that it would take a fee of at least £70m to secure his services.
This would not be an easy deal for City to complete in the coming days, however, as the Brazilian whiz is said to be happy and ready to fight for his place at Real Madrid, which means that he may take some convincing to make the move to England.
Football Insider also says that sources would be 'surprised' if the Cityzens were prepared to splash out £70m to sign the forward this summer, and that suggests that it may take some negotiating with Real Madrid to bring the price down.
However, if the English giants can get a deal over the line for the winger then that could help Guardiola to forget all about Alvarez this season.
Julian Alvarez's form for Man City last season
The World Cup winner signed for Atletico for a whopping £81.5m earlier this month after two years in England, where he was a key player for City in the 2023/24 campaign.
Guardiola found a way to fit Haaland and Alvarez in his starting XI, with the latter deployed in an attacking midfield role, as the Argentine star started 31 of the club's 38 Premier League games.
The 24-year-old sensation embraced his new role by showing off his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for City in the top-flight, to contribute to another league title success.
Appearances
36
xG
13.12
Goals
11
Big chances created
7
Key passes per game
1.9
Assists
9
As you can see in the table above, the young forward was directly involved in 20 goals in 36 appearances in the division, which shows that he was a reliable attacking option for Guardiola.
Alvarez also produced an eye-catching five goals and two assists in seven outings in the Champions League, scoring those five goals from just 1.74 xG.
These statistics show that the Argentine attacker provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League and the Champions League for City, which is why it is easy to understand why Guardiola did not want to lose him this summer.
However, the Spanish tactician could forget all about the Atletico Madrid signing if the club can bring in Rodrygo to star for the Cityzens this season.
Why Man City should sign Rodrygo
The Premier League giants must swoop for the Brazilian whiz to bolster their squad and ensure that Guardiola does not end up rueing Alvarez's departure.
Despite featuring in a team that included the likes of Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Fede Valverde, and Jude Bellingham, among many other stars, Rodrygo was the star for Real Madrid in their opening match in La Liga on Sunday night.
The young attacker scored the only goal of the game for the Spanish giants in a 1-1 draw with Mallorca, brilliantly curling an effort into the far corner from just inside the box.
Last season, the 23-year-old ace showcased his quality in LaLiga and in the Champions League for Real Madrid whilst playing on the right flank.
Rodrygo contributed with five goals and two assists in 13 matches in Europe's premier cup competition as the Spanish side went on to win the trophy, beating Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley.
Appearances
34
Goals
10
Big chances created
5
Assists
5
Key passes per game
1.4
As you can see in the table above, the £70m-rated star also hit double figures for goals in LaLiga for Carlo Ancelotti, to go along with five assists.
Rodrygo, whose finishing was once described as "terrifyingly good" by journalist Sam Tighe, also managed 19 goals and 11 assists in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, including nine goals and nine assists in LaLiga.
These statistics show that the Brazilian maestro is a consistent and impressive performer in front of goal as both a scorer and a creator, having proven himself in a major European league and in the Champions League.
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Therefore, Guardiola could forget all about Alvarez by landing another phenomenal young attacker who can make a big impact in the final third for City.
