275 games in 1247 days – Manchester City must consider Plan C transfer

When Julian Alvarez sent his penalty into the top corner in Houston tonight, he stabilised Argentina’s Copa America hopes after a turbulent quarter-final against Ecuador.

Alvarez was introduced in the second half with Argentina leading, but a late equaliser from Ecuador sent the game to penalties when Lionel Messi missed the first penalty. Fortunately for Argentina, Ecuador did the same, with Alvarez then stepping up to give his country the lead.

A 4-2 penalty shootout victory sent Argentina into the semi-finals, where they will have a shot at the final, with Canada or Venezuela awaiting them in the semi-finals. A final appearance would be Alvarez’s 71st game of a long season, and would come just a week before he returns to Europe to represent Argentina at the Paris Olympics.

ALSO READ: Manchester City’s impending transfer set to boost summer revenue but result in £3m loss

ALSO READ: Manchester City still haven’t solved glaring transfer problem as 2025 deadline looms

Manchester City would be delighted if Alvarez could add another major trophy to his collection, but an extra week of rest could have done wonders for a player who simply has no time off. It was only fitting that the quarter-final was held at Houston’s NRG Stadium, as it was the site of his first outing as a City player of 2022.

Just under two years later, Alvarez has made 134 appearances since then. He began this pre-season in the United States having already made 27 appearances for River Plate and Argentina since February 2022. With a place in Argentina’s Olympic squad for a tournament that begins a week after the Copa America concludes, Alvarez could play six games in France over the next month, ahead of an 11-month season with City that could last 85 games.

So, from February 2022 to July 2025, Alvarez could play 254 games, including friendlies, in just 1,247 days. That’s an average of 72 games per year, at a rate of one appearance every 4.9 days.