Manchester City confirm Sergio Aguero will leave at the end of the season after a decade of success – with the club to erect a STATUE at the Etihad Stadium in honour of their record goalscorer
- Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, the club said
- The ace will depart the club after scoring 257 goals across a decade of service
- City revealed Aguero will be forever immortalised at the Etihad with a statue
- Aguero is frustrated over game time and held talks with City chiefs on Monday
Sergio Aguero is leaving Manchester City at the end of the season after a decade with the club.
City’s greatest-ever striker has scored 257 goals in all competitions since joining from Atletico Madrid for £35million and is set to win a fifth Premier League title this year.
Aguero, 32, held talks with Pep Guardiola and other members of the club’s hierarchy on Monday afternoon.
City announced later he will depart the Etihad Stadium once his contract expires this summer.
The Argentine is a City legend after his last-minute winner secured their first league title since 1968 on the final day of his debut season in England.
Aguero’s 181 league goals are the highest of any foreign import and he is seven shy of eclipsing third-placed Andrew Cole on the all-time scorers list.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak revealed that Aguero is to be immortalised at the Etihad Stadium after the club commissioned a statue to mark his achievements.
Al Mubarak told Aguero of those plans over the phone on Monday.
Aguero’s statue will stand alongside those of fellow club greats Vincent Kompany and David Silva, which are currently being constructed. The trio are viewed as symbolising the strides taken under managers Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Guardiola over the past decade.
‘Sergio’s contribution to Manchester City over the last 10 years cannot be overstated,’ said Al Mubarak. ‘His legend will be indelibly etched into the memories of everyone who loves the club and maybe even in those who simply love football.
‘This is not yet the moment for farewell words and speeches. There is still much to achieve in the remainder of the time we have with Sergio, and we look forward to his contributions to the challenges which lie ahead.’
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is keen on signing Aguero on a free transfer this summer, while the striker is also open to staying in England.
He had previously spoken about finishing his career with his boyhood club, Independiente in Argentina, but feels there are still things to achieve in Europe.
Aguero had adapted his game to fit Guardiola’s style, with a meeting between manager, player and agent in city centre restaurant Salvi’s – revealed by Sportsmail in 2017 – viewed as pivotal.
Until recently he remained integral to the team after embracing the change in direction the Catalan was demanding.
AGUERO’S STATEMENT
A huge sense of satisfaction and pride remains in me for having played with Manchester City for a whole ten seasons – unusual for a professional player this day and age.
Ten seasons with major achievements, throughout which I was able to become the top goalscoring and forging an indestructible bond with all those who love this club – people who will always be in my heart.
We earned a place among the greatest in the world.
The task to maintain this well-deserved position will remain on others. I will continue to give it my utmost for the rest of the season to win more titles and bring more joy to the fans.
This season has been tough for Aguero, however. He struggled with a serious knee injury over the summer, then hamstring problems hampered his comeback.
He has grown frustrated at a lack of playing time since recovering from coronavirus in late January and feared his time in Manchester was fizzling out.
The 32-year-old has started only twice since October and has not scored a league goal in more than a year. His last, in January 2020, came only days after he broke Alan Shearer’s record for the number of Premier League hat-tricks, with his 12th coming at Aston Villa.
City hope some supporters can be in the stadium to bid farewell to Aguero in their final game of the league season against Everton on May 23.
City want an elite replacement ahead of next season, with Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland their primary target.
Guardiola’s side are favourites to land the Norwegian.
City are still in all four competitions and face Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday.
Aguero has won 10 major trophies at the Etihad.Guardiola praises Aguero after goal on return against Marseille
