Julian Alvarez is set to arrive in Madrid on Sunday - as the Man City forward prepares to complete his blockbuster £81m move to Atletico Madrid

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez will arrive in Madrid on Sunday ahead of signing a five year deal and completing his £81million move to Atletico Madrid tomorrow.

Alvarez, 24, is set to join the Spanish giants two-and-a-half years after moving to City from River Plate for £14m, giving Pep Guardiola's side a hefty profit on the Argentine.

Atletico have agreed a deal worth an initial €75million (£64m), but the striker's fee could rise as high as €95m (£81m) with performance-based add-ons.

His time at the Etihad has been hugely successful, with Alvarez winning six trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League, while he has also lifted the World Cup and Copa America with Argentina during that period.

The forward scored 36 goals and added 18 assists in 103 games for City and, although the English champions were keen to keep hold of the forward, Alvarez is believed to be motivated by a move to increase his playing time. 

Atletico boss Diego Simeone has been one of Alvarez's most ardent admirers, but the 24-year-old had previously attracted interest from a host of top clubs, including Premier League rivals Chelsea. 

But Atletico's interest ramped up earlier this week, with the club even mulling the possibility of including Joao Felix as a makeweight in a bid to get the transfer over the line. 

Mail Sport reported on Monday that Felix could have been offered to Pep Guardiola's side on loan with an option to buy.

City had previously held an interest in the Portuguese forward which pre-dates his loan spell at Chelsea in 2023. 

Although Alvarez ended the season as one of the City players with the highest number of minutes, the player was open about his desire to get involved in high-stakes clashes. 

'Last season, I was one of the players with the most minutes at City. But... in the end, you don't like being left out of important matches; you want to contribute,' he said earlier this summer.

'I'll take my time to think about what I want for myself. We will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.'

Meanwhile, speaking ahead of their Community Shield victory over Manchester United, Guardiola said they wouldn't rush into signing a new midfielder with the funds raised from Alvarez's sale.

‘Yeah, we will see,’ Guardiola said. ‘If we need someone the price we have to buy [has to be right] otherwise it makes no sense.

‘We will see the chances at the end of the market, if a club needs to sell more than now for example, so I don’t know.

‘Maybe a holding midfielder who can play central defender or a central defender who can play in the position of Rodri.’