Aguero still has Man City future: GUARDIOLA

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted on Friday the arrival of exciting young Brazilian Gabriel Jesus does not mean the end of Sergio Aguero’s glittering career with the club.

Jesus, 19, has made an assured start to life in England since his £27 million ($33.6 million, 31.3 million euros) move from Palmeiras, scoring on his full league debut in Wednesday’s 4-0 win at West Ham United.

Aguero has started both of City’s last two games on the bench, leading to speculation he could soon prove surplus to requirements, but Guardiola believes the pair can play together. “I understand the debate. But there is no doubt about the quality of Sergio,” he said. “I can say how happy I am with what he did, except the games when he was banned.

“The big clubs in Europe always have a lot of strikers and there has been at this club too: (Mario) Balotelli, (Carlos) Tevez, Sergio, (Edin) Dzeko all together.

“In the big clubs, you see (it) at Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus. At Madrid (Alvaro) Morata doesn’t play. Big clubs need a lot of strikers and we do.”

He added: “Sergio remains the most — or one of the most — important players in our squad. Without him it will not be possible.

“He’s played all the games except one in Barcelona for a tactical decision and one when he’d come back from Argentina. “The other games when he was not banned he always played, and played good. But now we knew from