Guardiola must find an heir to King Sergio’s throne..he can’t just rely on Jesus to be his saviour
phenomenal. He has 252 goals in 353 Manchester City appearances – 180 in 258 Premier League games – including THAT goal, which clinched the title in 2012.
That moment alone will ensure his pride of place in City folklore.
And his decade-long contribution will make him a worthy candidate for the title of the most important player in the club’s history.
He turns 32 in June and, while he and City have drawn blanks in their last couple of games, there are few signs of his powers waning.
Despite those blanks, City remain the Premier League’s top scorers with 65 goals – five more than Liverpool’s total.
The fact they have, with 29, conceded 14 more goals than the champions-elect underlines the obvious need for Guardiola to secure defensive reinforcements this summer. But, equally, Guardiola needs additional firepower. Strange to say when the team is averaging 2.6 goals per Premier League match, but their failure to convert opportunities has been almost as costly as their defensive fallibility this season. Gabriel Jesus is a high-quality alternative to Aguero or a high-quality partner. But Guardiola (left) and City need to start planning for a scenario which sees Aguero leave in the summer of 2021. It might not happen, but it needs planning for. And that is why, after a season in which they are likely to finish more than 20 points behind Liverpool, City will need a landmark striking signing as much as a dominant defensive signing. City’s last six goals in the Premier League have all been scored by Aguero. Guardiola needs options other than Jesus and a variety of ‘false nines’.
It is easier said than done, but City will need to exert their financial muscle.
Unlikely as it may seem, test Tottenham and tempt Harry Kane.
Or try and take advantage of Kylian Mbappe’s discontent at PSG.
Despite the wealth of the ownership, City will have to sell to buy big, but have valuable disposable assets. Leroy Sane, for one.
Aguero, now the most prolific foreign striker in Premier League history, will reach more landmarks.
He might even be tempted to hang around beyond the summer of next year, but City cannot bank on that.
They might well score a bagful against West Ham today and shoring up their defence is an obvious to-do.
But finding a successor to the wonderful Aguero should be their No.1 priority.