SERGIO AGUERO will be irreplaceable when he bids farewell to the Etihad at the end of next season.
That is the view of his boss Pep Guardiola, who rates the striker among the greats of the game.
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will never be able to replace Sergio Aguero
Aguero is Manchester City’s record scorer with an incredible 244 goals in 355 appearances since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
But the 31-year-old’s time at the club is nearing its end, with Aguero keen on finishing his career back in his native Argentina with his boyhood club Independiente.
The problem is who on earth can replace him?
They have Gabriel Jesus but according to Guardiola there will only ever be one Aguero.
The Spaniard said: “We have another incredible striker in Gabriel and maybe another will come when Sergio leaves — but he is irreplaceable.”
Guardiola places him up in the pantheon of goalscoring greats he has witnessed and worked with in his time.
He said: “In the box he is incredible but I had other guys who were not bad.
“Ronaldo the Brazilian, Romario, Samuel Eto’o — he was one of the most incredible strikers I’ve seen in my life, he could do everything — and Sergio is of course one of them.
Citizens star Aguero has netted 13 goals in 17 games in all competitions this seasonCredit: Reuters
We have another incredible striker in Gabriel and maybe another will come when Sergio leaves — but he is irreplaceable.”
Pep Guardiola
“Lionel Messi is a little bit higher than them but Sergio is one of them.”
Guardiola says Aguero will forever be remembered for that magical moment on the final day of the 2011-12 season.
His goal deep into injury time snatched the title away from neighbours Manchester United and gave City the title for the first time in 44 years.
Guardiola said: “The most important moment of this club — more important than when this club hopefully wins the Champions League — is when Sergio scored that goal against QPR. That moment is much better than four titles in one season — and he was the guy.”
Given the player’s skill and the adulation he receives, it would be easy for things to go to his head. Not Aguero.
Guardiola explained: “I’ve never seen such a big star like him be so humble, so funny.
“It is a joy to work with him and how he accepts my decisions when it sometimes doesn’t work for him.
“I’ve worked with other stars who believed they were bigger than Sergio when they weren’t — and they were more difficult to handle and to be with.”
Aguero famously netted a dramatic winner against QPR in 2012 to win City the Premier League titleCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
There is no doubt City will try to extend the forward’s stay — just as they attempted to keep Vincent Kompany, who left last summer, and David Silva, who departs at the end of this season.
Guardiola said: “He can stay but it depends on his physical condition and desire. I haven’t spoken with him and I don’t know his intentions.
“It was the same with Vinny who wanted to be here and then went to Belgium. Sometimes you have to make a decision — but with most of the cases, the players’ decide.
“I would like Sergio to decide whether he wants more or whether it is over. I tried to convince Vincent a lot to stay one more year. In the last weeks, I said, ‘No, no, no, you are not going to leave me’, but he left me.”
Silva has chosen to leave after 10 years’ service yet Guardiola believes City have enough talent already to make up for his absence.
He said: “I don’t think we will sign anyone. Maybe I will change my mind — it depends on the next six months — but I have other priorities.
“Bernardo can play there, Phil Foden is there, we have Ilkay Gundogan, we have Kevin De Bruyne, so I don’t think we will do anything in this position.”
While Silva is injured for today’s trip to Wolves, Aguero is back from a thigh injury having come on for the final minute of City’s victory over Leicester last Saturday.
Guardiola says he is still not ready for a full 90 minutes, so he is likely to be on the bench, but buzzing to be back out there scoring goals.
A place where he will leave an enormous hole when he bids farewell to the club.
Not just the greatest player in City’s history but arguably the greatest foreign import the English game has ever seen.
Pep Guardiola denies having secret clause in contract that lets him leave and insists he won’t quit Man City this summer
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
