Manchester City yesterday announced the signing of Sergio Aguero from Athletico Madrid on a five-year contract. The 23 year old arrives at the Etihad Stadium in a deal rumoured to be in the region of £38m and is the club’s third foray into this summer’s transfer market, following the arrivals of Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic.
After months of speculation, in which the Argentine was strongly linked with both Juventus and Real Madrid, Roberto Mancini has finally got his man and Aguero’s addition will bring a true world-class talent to the Premier League next season.
Speaking on the club’s official website, Aguero promised:
My style has always been fight to the death for every ball and give 100 per cent in every game, concentrate to the maximum in everything I do, movement, running off the ball, winning the ball back and scoring goals. I’m not a player who can do everything but I have plenty to offer. I don’t think I’ll have too many problems settling into the team.
I think we are a team that in the future will be fighting every year to win major trophies. Let’s hope that it’s quite a few major trophies.
The Statistics
A prodigious talent, Aguero made his debut for Independiente at the tender age of 15 years and 35 days, breaking Diego Maradona’s record as the youngest player to take to the field in Argentina’s first division. Used sparingly in his first two campaigns, Aguero played just six times but gradually fought his way into the first-team and in total played 54 games over four seasons, scoring 23 goals and assisting 4.
In May 2006, Aguero then moved to Athletico Madrid for a fee believed to be around 23m Euros. Firmly established as a key member of the Athletico side, he missed just fifteen games during his five season stint in La Liga, playing 175 games, scoring 74 goals and assisting 29.
Last season saw Aguero break the 20-goal mark in Spain’s top division for the first time, as he finished third top scorer in La Liga; only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo found the net more often. Ironically, his 2 assists in 2010/11 were the lowest number of assists in any of his five campaigns at the Vicente Calderón, an indication that he’s more of a finisher than a real creative force. Aguero has also scored 16 goals and picked up 2 assists in 32 games for Argentina.
The Prospects
Much is dependant on the future of Carlos Tevez. Having missed out on a return to Brazil with former club Corinthians, Tevez has been linked with a move to Inter Milan- indeed, today’s papers reckon he’ll be gone before August is out. With Aguero now in place, it’s debatable as to whether Mancini would be prepared to hold onto a player whose presence may well have a negative effect on squad morale.
It’s impossible to tell if Aguero has been purchased as an immediate replacement for his countryman or if Mancini had initially visualised playing both in the same XI. Tevez, clearly, does not wish to stay in Manchester and with Aguero now on board, the City boss is in a position of strength- the new boy can easily replace Tevez up front in Mancini’s 4-2-3-1, meaning the club is no longer so dependant on their want-away star.
Aguero is also capable of playing out wide, behind a lone front man or as part of a front two and if Tevez stays, Aguero’s versatility may see him in a supporting role behind. Playing in the same XI as his compatriot could, however, even see the pair lessen each other’s appeal- Mancini is renowned for his defensive approach and there’s the very possible scenario of the duo sharing City’s goals equally, as opposed to last season where Tevez grabbed 20 of City’s 60 goals.
At present, the move raises more questions than it solves. It’s fairly certain that, in the long-term, Aguero will be the man to lead the line for City but for now, it demotes the likes of Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko further down the pecking order and to the periphery of our Fantasy thinking. Tevez’s exit is the ideal scenario for Fantasy managers- Aguero has this afternoon been priced at 11.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and should offer the same threat while being the more budget-friendly of the two.
With the club facing (SWA, WIG) in their first four game weeks, he’ll surely find his way into many a Fantasy team before the big kick-off a fortnight tomorrow. Aguero looks set to be a pivotal figure in City’s 2011/12 campaign and around 30 starts can be expected from the Argentine in what promises to be a sensational season ahead.
