Focusing on Alvarez, City have picked up £81m (via BBC Sport) for the striker from Atletico Madrid after seeing the Argentine score 19 goals and deliver 13 assists in 54 appearances across all competitions last season.

With the new Premier League campaign set to kick off this weekend, a pundit has weighed in on whether the Manchester club could do some late transfer business.

• Man City summer transfer window 2024: Confirmed signings, departures, loan exits and releases

Pundit backs Man City to sign Julian Alvarez replacement

Written in his latest newsletter for BBC Football Extra, Pat Nevin had this to say about the prospect of City potentially signing a replacement for Alvarez before the window closes.

He said: “City may be bursting with wingers, but there is still a need for a back-up striker when Erling Haaland gets tired or injured, which he will.

“With the money available to spend from Julian Alvarez’s departure, I am sure they will get another striker soon. ‌

“Do they need yet another world-class player up top? I suspect Pep and the team have more options than you might think.

“They could go for a fine technical addition, which is obviously the house style at the Etihad. They might also be tempted by a good old-fashioned goal-sniffer. ‌

“There are quite a few centre forwards out there who are basically goalscorers, and little else. Each one thinks the same thing: ‘Put me up front for City, with their creativity and even I could score in every other game.’ ‌

“There may be something in that, so keep your eyes peeled for the Haaland back-up plan, it could be among the most crucial acquisitions of the season.”

City will need cover up top if Haaland gets injured?

Prior to Alvarez’s move to Atletico, Guardiola revealed that the striker spoke to him about wanting a new challenge away from City.

With Alvarez playing such a prominent role in the City team last season, there’s no denying that the club have lost a useful attacking option from their squad.

Also, with Haaland, who is now the only predominant centre-forward in Guardiola’s ranks, spending a chunk of last season out injured, not having Alvarez to call upon could be an issue for City this time around should the Norwegian find himself unavailable.

Taking that into account and the vast number of games the Citizens will be playing throughout the season, we feel that having another centre-forward in the squad will be important for the club.