Despite a slow start, Manchester City are closing in on reclaiming the coveted Premier League crown from Liverpool. The star-studded Citizens have dealt with the injury concerns and are still going strong without star forward Sergio Aguero, who featured only 7 times in the league so far this term. The prolific Argentine will be a free agent this summer, and according to Marca, the newly elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta is weighing up a move to bolster the attacking third.
This has refuelled the speculations of City’s potential mega-money swoop for iconic Lionel Messi available at the end of the current campaign on a Bosman transfer. This should increase the Skyblues’ brand value across the globe but, at the same time, would require massive investment on City’s part to meet his enormous wage demands.
Man City are never afraid of spending millions in the transfer window, yet they must think twice before making the call considering Messi will be 34 before next season.
Why They Need A Long-term Successor Of Aguero
Although Gabriel Jesus has stepped in and scored a few crucial goals, Pep Guardiola should opt for an outright ‘number 9’ to succeed Aguero. The latter has respected his contract and is working hard to draw an end to his decade-long service with more silverware. Having said that, it’s time to reinvest high up the pitch, and the rumours of Erling Haaland might gather some pace in a few months.
Erling’s father, Alf-Inge Haaland, had his spell with Manchester City and is still remembered for enduring a horrific tackle from Roy Keane that eventually drew an end to his career prematurely. But his son is making strides in the European circuit and has already been labelled as a generation talent for his outrageous scoring record with Borussia Dortmund.
He has scored 116 senior goals at the age of 20, and the tutelage of Guardiola would help him flourish further en route to becoming the NxGn superstar of world football.
An array of European hotshots are keeping close tabs on Haaland. Still, the financial crisis in the wake of the pandemic is refraining the majority of them from stepping up interest. City, run by the Middle East owners, are expected to continue their spending spree in order to become an unstoppable force across competitions in the upcoming years. It’s time for Guardiola to make this move, strengthening their stranglehold over the competition in the Premier League.
