Gabriel Jesus scored two goals including an injury-time winner as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City recorded a dramatic 2-1 victory over struggling Swansea City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
It was the second consecutive game in which Guardiola opted for the young Jesus over proven Premier League hitman Sergio Aguero.
Rumours of the Argentine’s departure have only grown stronger since the start of the season. Aguero, for all his goal-scoring prowess simply doesn’t suit the City Boss’ specific blueprint.
Here’s a look at the six possible teams who could swoop in for the 28-year-old striker.
REAL MADRID
Los Blancos tried and failed to sign the Argentine in 2011 and Sergio Aguero still fits the bill as a Florentino Perez-style Galactico signing, even if coach Zinedine Zidane has tried to move away from that philosophy.
Given doubts of Karim Benzema’s future at the club due to his indifferent form and an apparent distrust of Alvaro Morata’s ability as a starting No9, Aguero would surely hit the ground running at the Bernabeu.
That said, he turns 29 in June and would carry little to no resale value on what would be a sizeable outlay in transfer fee and wages, and there may be more economically-sensible options out there such as Paolo Dybala at Juventus or Sporting’s Gelson Martins.
ATLETICO MADRID
Antoine Griezmann’s departure to Man United looks a near-formality meaning Atleti will be in the hunt for a striker this summer and should have a decent amount of money to spend as well.
Diego Costa has been discussed, and would be open to a return to the club which made him a star, but if he’s tempted to China, bringing back Aguero makes perfect sense plus gives the club a star name to usher in the new era at the Wanda Metropolitana Stadium.
But, does Kun possess the necessary work rate to play under Diego Simeone. The Argentine places considerable physical demands on his players and it’s a weakness in Aguero’s game which, at 29, is only going to get worse.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
For all their resources, scoring goals has been a bit of a problem for PSG this term and they need a striker to assist Edinson Cavani or even replace him.
They’ll certainly have the funds, wage packageand Paris is an enticing place to live but Aguero may feel a greater pull towards La Liga or Serie A, given the comparative strength of those leagues, assuming an offer is on the table.
​CHELSEA
​It seems unlikely, given Chelsea’s position as Premier League title rivals, a scenario that will surely only intensify next season if Pep Guardiola improves City to somewhere near the level he wants.
But if City are serious about getting reasonable money for him, Chelsea could be the club which offer the largest fee, especially if Diego Costa departs Stamford Bridge.
It could be decision which potentially backfires but, then again, is selling a 29-year-old with a growing injury history for what would be a huge sum of money, that much of a risk?
INTERNATIONALE
Inter owners Suning Holdings have big ambitions and are desperate to make a marquee signing this summer, not only as a branding exercise but also to go some way in closing the gap on Juventus and the rest of the Serie A elite.
A new challenge in a league he hasn’t played in before could interest Aguero, who would join Argentina team-mates Ever Banega and Mauro Icardi. Inter, though, would need to offer Aguero Champions League football and currently lie sixth, five points behind Roma in third.
JIANSU SUNING
Should he become available, a Chinese club will bid​​. That’s a given. ​But ​Jiangsu look the most likely, given they’re bankrolled by the afor​e​mentioned Suning Holdings and have a spare foreign spot available in their squad.
The big ‘but’, as ever, is if Aguero would want to play in China with so many offers elsewhere.