Who should Sergio Aguero join this summer? Dream, realistic and wildcard options
After 10 years of goals galore, Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City on a free transfer this summer.
The Argentine released a statement confirming the end of his time in Manchester, but that has left fans speculating over where he intends to go next. With 181 goals, Aguero is the highest-scoring non-Englishman in Premier League history and fourth in the overall list, he is an incredible talent and his ability to score goals from nowhere make him dangerous even at 32 years old.
But where will he end up? The cheeky response, given Manchester United need a striker, would be that Aguero make the move across the city to join the Red Devils, but the mere suggestion was shot down instantly by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“I wouldn’t expect any player who had played for a club for 10 years to want to go to a local rival,” said the Norwegian, adding: “I know we’re professional but when you play for Man United, you don’t go to Man City.
“We’ve had examples of that and I didn’t really agree to those moves, to put it that way. I don’t want to name names,” Solskjaer said, knowing that he could only be talking about Peter Schmeichel, Owen Hargreaves or Carlos Tevez, “but you all know who I point my finger at.”
So with United ruled out, we had a look and came up with three clubs that represent Aguero’s dream, realistic and wildcard options.
Dream: Barcelona
There can be no other dream for Sergio Aguero, right? When he was at Atlético Madrid there was never going to be much of a chance for him to join one of Spain’s top two, but now, after a decade of dominance in the Premier League, he can pick his own destination and why would he want to go anywhere other than Barcelona?
The Blaugrana are still among the very biggest sides in the world even with their financial troubles and what’s more, there is a clear gap in the side that Aguero would fill superbly. Barcelona play really well but often lack a consistent goalscoring presence in the final third; you only have to look at their Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain to see how they could benefit from someone with Aguero’s talents.
What really makes this move a dream, however, is Lionel Messi. Aguero’s compatriot and best friend in the game since the pair won the FIFA U-20 World Cup together in 2005 and then the Olympics in 2008. His contract is also due to expire but many have speculated that one way to ensure he stays at Camp Nou is to bring his friend in to play alongside him.
That certainly is appealing for Aguero, and maybe even Messi on a personal level, but this move can only be a dream because Barcelona are looking to start a new sporting project with Messi as the veteran presence surrounded by young talent. So signing a 33-year-old striker (as Aguero will be in the summer) who has a history of being injury prone doesn’t really fit with that.
Sergio Aguero next club odds (via Sky Bet)
(Odds in this article are correct at the time of writing. 18+ only, GambleAware.org)
Realistic: Juventus
If Aguero were to leave Manchester City, a place where he has been accustomed to winning league titles (it should be five in 10 years by the time this season is done), he will want to go somewhere that could give him similar opportunities for silverware.
In that instance, Juventus must emerge as a very realistic destination for the Argentine. The Old Lady will probably lose their title but with nine consecutive wins they are a club accustomed to winning the Scudetto and will be out to reclaim their crown. Adding the goal power of Aguero to Cristiano Ronaldo would help them do just that.
Then there’s the financial considerations. First, Aguero is on a free transfer which is something Juventus are notorious for. Then there is also the “growth decree” that helps Serie A clubs sign foreign players with a 50% tax discount on their wages. Such a law would help Juve pay for Aguero’s sizeable wages while giving him a great platform to perform, making this move very realistic indeed.
Wildcard: Arsenal
Sergio Aguero is a Premier League legend. Only Andrew Cole, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer have scored more Premier League goals than he has and if he has a lively end to this current season he could even overtake Cole, though that would be difficult.
However, if he were to stay in the division then not only would passing Cole be more of a formality (he needs to score just seven more times) but even Wayne Rooney’s total of 208 is within reach. Aguero is currently 27 goals behind the Manchester United legend, which is a total he could easily surpass with two decent seasons.
Arsenal, then.
There are only a few Premier League clubs who could entice Aguero to stay in England but Arsenal would surely be one of them. Aside from the stature of the club they are currently loaded with young, creative talent. Right now they struggle to score goals with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offering little and Alexandre Lacazette not always looking dangerous enough either.
Put Aguero at the head of a side with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and maybe even Martin Odegaard in it, and with his old coach Mikel Arteta running the show then Aguero could be very potent indeed. Certainly enough to move second in the all-time Premier League goalscorer rankings.
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) March 29, 2021
This move is a huge wildcard, however, because in his statement Aguero specifically said how he wanted to continue competing at the highest level. That would seemingly preclude Arsenal whose only hope of Champions League football would need them to win the Europa League (they might even struggle to make next season’s Europa League given current form).
Chelsea are a Premier League side that could offer Aguero Champions League football but they have a lot of money invested in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz and it would be a strange move for them to invest in another striker.
