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Aguero’s perfect replacement?

By Aditya Kumar

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 13: Erling Haaland of Dortmund celebrates scoring the 2:0 goal during the DFB Cup final match between RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund at Olympic Stadium on May 13, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mika Volkmann/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 13: Erling Haaland of Dortmund celebrates scoring the 2:0 goal during the DFB Cup final match between RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund at Olympic Stadium on May 13, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mika Volkmann/Getty Images) /
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The day is May 13, 2012. Manchester City need a win against QPR to secure their first league title in 44 years.

At the end of normal time, city trail two to one. 2 minutes into stoppage time, Edin Dzeko latches onto a David Silva corner and equalizes. City still need one more to win the league title.

The last-minute of stoppage time:
The ball falls to Aguero, who passes it to Ballotelli, who plays it back to Aguero. Aguero beats his man and the rest, as they say, is history. Martin Tyler’s “Agueroooooo” and that particular scene at Etihad will forever remain etched in the memory of Manchester City fans.

But now at 32, Sergio Aguero’s time at Manchester City is over. With his contract running out at the end of the season, nagging fitness concerns, and a move to FC Barcelona looking certain,  City will need to look for an heir to Aguero’s throne.

https://mancitysquare.com/2021/05/14/sergio-agueros-next-destination-just-pending-official-confirmation/

With high stature and rich owners, a club such as Manchester City always looks to sign the best players. Currently, one of the best, if not the best, strikers in the world is Borussia Dortmund’s young striker Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian has scored 25 times and assisted 6 times in the Bundesliga this season, averaging a goal contribution every game. His xG of 0.81 and xA of 0.2 since 2020 are matching Aguero’s numbers since 2016. This is despite Haaland taking 3.3 shots per 90 compared to Aguero’s 4.5 and creating only 0.8 chances per game compared to the Argentine’s 1.3.

Haaland will, however, not help City build the play from the back like Aguero and will play more of a poacher role. His presence in the box and dribbling skills (0.96 successful dribbles per 90 with a 57% success rate compared to Aguero’s 1.3 per 90 with a similar success rate) will however compensate for that.

https://mancitysquare.com/2021/05/26/sergio-aguero-fairytale-ending-man-city/

With City struggling with crosses this season (2nd least successful crosses in the premier league) and lacking a forward who can compete with the tall and strong centre backs in the premier league, Haaland’s aerial ability will come in handy.

Haaland’s ability combined with Kevin De Bruyne’s mastery in picking out passes will create a menace in the opposition box. Haaland’s extraordinary pace and strength will also add more diversity to City’s attack.

Considering Haaland’s age and his immense potential, if Manchester City are able to buy him for anything less than 150 million Euros, it will be an excellent piece of business for them.

Next. City's four Man Shortlist to Replace Aguero. dark

However, with the financial meltdown due to the pandemic, Man City might not be able to generate enough to fund the transfer. But if they are able to, there is no better player in the world right now to replace Sergio Aguero.

Sergio Aguero is a giant of the English game, and with him leaving comes the end of an era at City. An era that created Manchester City into the mammoth club that is. Haaland would be a perfect replacement for Aguero, and just like the veteran, he has the ability to write his name in the premier league folklore.