Julian Alvarez believes moving to Atletico Madrid will allow him to become "the best version" of himself, having left Manchester City in a €95million (£81.5m) deal.
Alvarez called time on his two-year stay at the Etihad Stadium earlier this week, having won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup after joining from River Plate in 2022.
The Argentina international scored 36 goals in 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, 19 of which came in 54 outings last season.
No other City player made as many appearances as Alvarez across all competitions and Guardiola was keen to keep him at the club, but the 24-year-old had his heart set on a new challenge.
"I felt like I needed a change in my career, a new challenge," Alvarez told reporters at his Atletico unveiling on Friday.
"I feel like this is a club where I can get the tools and the space to become the best version of myself as a football player.
"From the very first moment, even before it was official, people have been very supportive. Many fans were at the airport waiting for the flight to land.
"That support and affection from the beginning makes me really happy. It makes me confident too. I'm very grateful."
Alvarez is the most expensive of three signings made by Atleti ahead of the new campaign, which they begin by travelling to Villarreal on Monday.
Diego Simeone's men have also spent €34.5m on centre-back Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad, as well as completing a €32m swoop for Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth.
They saw a potential move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher stall this week, however, due to the collapse of an agreement over Samu Omorodion going the other way.
'We did not get the points we deserved' - Silva rues missed chances in Fulham defeat
Marco Silva thinks Fulham "did not get the points he thought they deserved" as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in their Premier League opener.
The Cottagers looked a threat on the counter-attack but lacked a clinical edge in the final third as they wasted chances to take the lead.
Bernd Leno kept them in the game by making big saves in both halves before United debutant Joshua Zirkzee proved the difference in the 87th minute from close range.
While Silva admitted there were positives to take from the performance, he was ultimately left frustrated by the missed chances that cost them.
"It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost," Silva told Sky Sports.
"We started really well. I think the first two dangerous moments were from ourselves. The first one we should have scored, a really dangerous attack from us.
"We had our chances. When you play against Manchester United...there were moments, and we had to punish them.
"We had so many moments, and we were punished at the end of the game. It was a crazy game, and we did not play our own game. It was an emotional game, we tried to rush many, many times.
"We did not get the points I thought we deserved."
Fulham managed 10 shots in the match, though only tested Andre Onana twice, with Kenny Tete forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper with one of those in the first half.
Andreas Pereira also squandered two opportunities on the break with loose passes, and Silva is keen to fine-tune certain aspects of their performance.
"Of course, when you have two against one you should at least finalise the action and put your teammates in the right action," he added. "But it was not just that one, we had other really good moments and should have scored.
"We have to keep the emotional control in these types of games. We know they are strong and want to play this type of game. It's always their strength when the game is broken and the space is there. We should have kept the balance and emotional control.
"But it was a good answer from the team overall. It was a tough summer when you lose five players - four of them starting players. But I knew the players were good enough to play in this way."
Pressure – what pressure? Man Utd new boy Zirkzee shrugs off debut nerves
Joshua Zirkzee is not feeling any pressure as he looks to make his mark at Manchester United.
Having come on from the bench to make his United debut, Zirkzee scored in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 win over Fulham on Friday in the first Premier League match of the 2024-25 season.
Zirkzee joined United from Serie A club Bologna in July, and with Rasmus Hojlund injured, swiftly made an impact at Old Trafford.
And the former Bayern Munich attacker knows it is about as good a start as he could have asked for.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It's the perfect one, no? In front of the Stretford End. And a win as well, it couldn't be any better.
"It's been very good [since I arrived]. The group have been amazing, I feel very comfortable and at home here. I'm having a very good time.
"Of course it's a big club, but we just work hard every day and focus on what we want to achieve, and that's being the best we can be. At the moment I don't really feel any pressure.
"I look forward to working with everyone here. That includes all the staff. Everyone has been great.
"Of course having Ruud van Nistlerooy in the staff as a striker, you have to be grateful for that. Everyone has been great, it's a pleasure to be here."
Following Zirkzee's winner this evening, 22 players have now scored in their first Premier League appearance for United, with only Chelsea (27) and Aston Villa (26) having more debutant scorers in the competition's history.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, is the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, and the fourth to do so while at United, after Van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.
His goal came from his only attempt on target.
"It was very important to get the first goal as a striker," said manager Erik ten Hag.
"For him it is very pleasing because strikers have to score. That is the first ability you have to show when you come as a striker to a new club."
Manchester United 1-0 Fulham: Zirkzee the hero on Red Devils debut
Joshua Zirkzee scored a late winner on his Manchester United debut as the Red Devils claimed a 1-0 victory over Fulham in the first Premier League match of 2024-25.
After recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season, United looked set to be frustrated at Old Trafford on Friday until their new striker diverted a deft finish past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 87th minute.
Introduced midway through the second half by Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee applied the crucial touch to fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s teasing centre to settle the contest.
Bruno Fernandes had earlier squandered United’s best chances, with Leno in excellent form for the visitors, making two saves from the Portuguese playmaker in swift succession.
Leno denied Mason Mount at the start of the second half, though Fulham were left to rue some missed openings at the other end when Zirkzee charged into the area to nudge home.
Alejandro Garnacho fluffed his lines when teed up by Marcus Rashford deep in second-half stoppage time, but the miss did not prove costly as United secured a winning start to the new campaign.
Data Debrief: Dutch delight
Zirkzee became the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, with four of those doing so for United (also Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek).
His goal ensured United have more wins (22) and more points (70) from their opening games of Premier League campaigns than any other side. The Red Devils are featuring in their 100th season in top-flight football, making them the fifth different team to reach the milestone after Everton, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal.
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