Pep Guardiola has revealed it’s no guarantee that Sergio Aguero will be given a new Manchester City contract at the end of the season.
As Sky Sports report, Guardiola has insisted that Aguero, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2021, will have to earn an extension to that deal if he wants to remain at the Etihad.
With the Argentine now just over two months away from being free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with any interested parties, we’ve identified five players City should consider signing to replace the goal-machine.
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Paulo Dybala
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Dybala has just one 20 league goal season to his name in his career, so would not be a direct replacement for compatriot Aguero in terms of carrying the goal-scoring burden.
However, he is able to play as a ‘false nine’, a strategy which Guardiola has opted to use frequently in the past, with his ability to link with the attacking midfielders in behind what is so special about him – as well as his goal-scoring output.
Erling Haaland
Haaland is an obvious name to link with any top club who could soon be in need of a centre-forward. The Borussia Dortmund sensation is certain to be one of the most prolific of his generation.
The 20-year-old already has 90 career goals to his name, with 44 of them coming last season.
Though Dortmund would no doubt demand an astronomical fee in exchange for a player who is one of the hottest properties in Europe, City are one of few clubs in the world who could afford to bankroll a move to sign him.
Whether they’re interested, though, and whether the Etihad is where Haaland sees himself playing his football, are two things that remain unclear at this time.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Few would have believed prior to Carlo Ancelotti taking the Everton job that Calvert-Lewin could ever be of the calibre required to play for a club like City. However, the 23-year-old is one of the hottest strikers in Europe right now.
Having scored ten goals in just seven appearances for the Toffees this term, with seven of those coming in the Premier League, Calvert-Lewin has picked up this season where he left off in the last.
DCL also scored on his England debut against Wales over the international break. If he continues this form throughout the season, there’s scarcely a player better suited to replacing Aguero’s goal contributions than the Everton man.
Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann is one of the best players in the world on his day, but has looked like a square peg in a round hole ever since signing for Barcelona in the summer of 2019.
If the Frenchman is not able to hit his stride under Ronald Koeman in what remains of the season, he could be tempted to move elsewhere in hope of rediscovering his world-class performance level.
A move to the Premier League to work under Guardiola at City would be an appealing proposition for any player, but we are some way away from writing Griezmann off at Barca.
He will no doubt be determined to make his mark at the Nou Camp, but if he is unable to do so, and Aguero does leave Manchester next summer, he ought to be on City’s shortlist.
Lionel Messi
It’d be impossible not to include Messi in this list.
The Mirror report that Barcelona are already somewhat resigned to losing Messi to Man City next summer, with the Argentine’s contract due to expire at the season’s end.
Now could finally be the time that Messi moves on from the Catalan giants, and having Aguero off the wage bill would no doubt ease the burden of having the greatest player of all-time on your books.
While Messi would probably be disappointed not to have the opportunity to play alongside international teammate Aguero in Manchester, fitting them both into the starting XI with the wealth of other attacking talent Guardiola has at his disposal would be quite the task.
The stars could be aligning for City here.