With Sergio Aguero leaving Manchester City at the end of the year, transfer rumors about his next destination continue to swirl. The same goes for what the Etihad might do to replace him. Erling Haaland has been linked with a move to the Etihad, although manager Pep Guardiola has openly outright dismissed the idea.
The Borussia Dortmund hit man has been linked with several other clubs, and the list includes Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid. What happens with Haaland could also have determination on where Aguero ends up, or so it seems.
A report from the Daily Mail today suggests that Chelsea are now the favorites to sign the 32 year old Argentine, who will be made available on a free, as his contract will have expired. Meanwhile ESPN reports that Aguero will be a fallback option for Stamford Bridge, should they fail to land Haaland. As two outlets have this, it’s a transfer narrative that seems to be gaining real traction.
With the Norwegian scoring sensation poised to be the most sought after transfer target of the summer, his price will be astronomical, and strikers are always the most expensive players, among all positions. So instead of paying north of 100 million GBP for the BVB superstar, getting City’s all-time leading scorer on a Bosman transfer should be viewed as a very good alternative.
Still it would be weird to see Aguero, who will have a statue made in his honor outside the Etihad, in a Chelsea shirt. It’s strange, but there is one obvious analogy to make here- Frank Lampard.
Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer moved to City, at about age 34, where he played for one season. Then he went to City’s sister MLS club in New York for another season, and after that he hung up his boots. One could easily see this situation playing out quite similarly.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.