It’s getting to that time in the season again when the crazy stories start swirling and this January will be no exception. Manchester City will, and have been, linked with a whole range of purchases in the winter window.
The Alexis Sanchez story keeps on trucking, although most of the noise is coming out of the Arsenal camp, but more on that later. Virgil van Dijk has, thankfully, taken top spot from Jonny Evans as our number one defensive target, but my concern is the story gathering pace regarding a possible departure.
Rumors were that Real Madrid were ready to come on in for our record club scorer, Sergio Aguero. Certainly, if City fans had their own way, he would never leave the Blues. There will, however, come that time when it is decided that it is time for Aguero to move on.
Things have changed for the little Argentinian since that last second, Premier League winning goal, he scored against QPR in 2012. Pep arrived, and for one of the first times in his career, he was no longer the number one starter.
The arrival of Gabriel Jesus almost a year ago, and the relentless pursuit of Alexis Sanchez, had some thinking Kun’s time could be at an end. This season he’s continued scoring, and how much it has to do with the failure to capture the Chilean, is up for debate.
This season though he has become our all-time club record scorer, and has increased that tally for the next generation to chase. 100 goals at the Etihad, despite being involved in a car accident, and there is no real argument as to how good Aguero is.
The question is, with Pep rotating his playing staff, is this new role going to be good enough for Sergio? Yes we have the Sergio Aguero who scored a brace and set up another goal in the 4-0 destruction of Bournemouth. But we also have the Sergio who threw his gloves down after being substituted against Spurs. Taken off just before the hour mark, and 1-0 up, City went on to win 4-1.
Next: Potential January Targets
Guardiola has hidden neither his appreciation of Aguero’s talents nor his ruthlessness with cutting players not deemed to be in his mold. You only have to take a trip down to London and talk to Joe Hart to understand that, and Sergio is certainly not what you would consider your typical Guardiola striker.
I have an uneasy feeling that if Sergio wants to move on, and if the clubs evaluation of the Argentinian is met, then Pep would not stand in his way. Certainly, if he was to leave, even as early as January, he would leave as a bona-fide City legend.