Paul Merson believes Manchester City have got rid of several players who would have stepped up against Manchester United.
The Citizens go into Sunday’s Manchester derby in a poor run of form, having lost their last two games in the Premier League.
In addition, City have a lengthy injury list, with Omar Marmoush the latest player set to miss the derby due to a knee problem he picked up on international duty.
Paul Merson reckons an £81million player who was previously on City’s books could have been a game-changer against Manchester United, but he’s no longer at the club.
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Julian Alvarez of Manchester City holds the trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on May 19, 2024 in Manchester, England
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Paul Merson says Julian Alvarez would have done ‘something special’ against Manchester United
Merson believes City are a shadow of the team they used to be, saying several players who have since left would have made a difference.
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He said Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva would have stepped up, while Julian Alvarez would have “pulled off something special”.
Merson also doesn’t think Erling Haaland will be able to conjure up similar magic, while Jeremy Doku has been described as “hit and miss”.
Merson wrote on Sportskeeda: “They don’t have a player like David Silva or Kevin De Bruyne anymore, so who is going to step up?
“Julian Alvarez was the kind of player who could have picked the ball up and pulled off something special in games like these, but they don’t have him either!
“Erling Haaland isn’t that type of a player, he relies on people like Silva and De Bruyne for service.
“And I’ve always said that Jeremy Doku is hit and miss, so this isn’t the dominant Manchester City we once knew.”
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Why Julian Alvarez left Manchester City
Alvarez joined City from Argentine giants River Plate for around £14million in January 2022, and he made a great impression at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Alvarez found himself playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland when the Norwegian joined six months later.
Alvarez subsequently decided in 2024 that he wanted to move.
Guardiola said Alvarez had asked to leave the club because he wanted a “new challenge”, even though the Spaniard was keen to keep him at the Etihad.
City sanctioned Alvarez’s departure, and he joined Atletico Madrid for around £81million in the summer of 2024.