Sergio Aguero admits he has no idea how new signing Julian Alvarez will fit into Pep Guardiola’s style of play... in a sly dig at the Manchester City manager.
The club's all-time record goalscorer hailed the 22-year-old River Plate star, who has signed a deal to move to the Etihad in the summer, during a streaming session on Twitch.
But Aguero confessed he was “unclear” where the striker would be used by a manager who “sometimes doesn’t play with forwards”.
Aguero, whose brother launched a savage attack on Guardiola after he played his last game for the club, told Twitch fans when questioned about Alvarez’s signing: “Julian is good, really really good.
“I get on really well with him. The times we were together in the Argentine national team we would always have a real laugh.
“He asked me things and as a striker I would tell him my experience although obviously after that he decides.
“I like Julian as a player but we’ll have to see how they’re going to use him at City. I don’t know if he’s going to get used to playing as a No.9 centre-forward because I think he’s someone who likes to move around.
“Personally I’d put him up front and let him roam and break the lines because he’s a very active footballer, I’d have him as an inside forward or attacking midfielder or winger.
“The thing is that Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, doesn’t use forwards.”
Showing he meant it as a half-joke but laughing only as he reached the end of his sentence, he added: “I was there and I was lucky if I played.
“I was a 9 but Pep often didn’t play with forwards and so I didn’t feature. He got used to that, it was a tactic of his. I really don’t know right now where Julian could fit in at City.”
Aguero, who retired in December because of heart problems, made his comments on Sunday.
He is currently in Argentina and considering his future after calling time on his playing career after just five games for Barcelona.
The dad-of-one retired after doctors discovered he had an irregular heartbeat in tests sparked by his forced substitution with chest pains in his last game for the Catalan side at the end of October.
Alvarez, who will stay on loan at Argentinian club River Plate until at least July despite becoming a Man City player last Monday on his 22nd birthday, revealed on Friday he was a “long-time admirer” of Guardiola, in his first comments since his signing.
“I’ve been an admirer of his and the way his teams play for a long time," said Alvarez.
“I’ve already had a chat with him. He welcomed me and congratulated me on what I had done and said he was happy I’d joined the Man City project for the next few years.”
