Manchester City reportedly expect a bidding war to break out between European top clubs over securing the signing of Sergio Aguero this summer.
The 28-year-old has been an integral part of City’s success since his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2011, while he has scored 113 goals in 169 Premier League appearances.
However, following Pep Guardiola’s arrival last summer, and the subsequent signings of the likes of Leroy Sane and in particular Gabriel Jesus, the Argentine international found himself on the fringes last month with the Brazilian youngster taking centre stage.
While an injury has since sidelined him and in turn given Aguero an opportunity to continue to lead the line for City, it hasn’t been enough to quell speculation that he could be leaving the Etihad.
According to the Manchester Evening News, should Aguero decide to push for a move this summer, City are in a strong position to demand a hefty price, although it could well be far too much and end up deterring clubs from making a bid.
It’s claimed that there is a long-standing belief within the club that the prolific forward is worth more than the then-world record fee of £85.3m spent by Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale in 2013.
With Aguero under contract until 2020, there is no doubt that he won’t go for cheap, but if that’s the kind of fee that City are thinking of, then it’s more than likely that they’ll have to lower their demands if they agree to let him leave this summer.
As per the report, Guardiola has insisted that Aguero remains part of his plans, but with one man leading the line, it looks as though Jesus will more often than not get the nod as he seems a better fit in the Spanish tactician’s system and ideology.
If Aguero isn’t happy with that scenario, then it remains to be seen if terms can be agreed with an interested party, although they will surely not want to pay such a huge fee for a player who turns 29 this summer.