BEVERLY HILLS, May 13, (THEWILL) – The hopes of Sergio Aguero to join his countryman and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to play within the same squad is finally being realised, though not in Manchester City as Aguero earlier desired. This comes as news break that the record-setting City player is poised to sign a two-year deal with Barcelona, and join Messi at the Camp Nou.
Aguero is on the last legs of his rich stay at the Etihad and will be making his exit from City on a free transfer at the end of the season, with the expiration of his contract with the newly crowned English Premier League champions.
The attraction of getting a player of his repute on a free transfer given the tight budget strings of some of the biggest clubs in Europe due to the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic made Aguero a hot summer target for a number of these clubs. Barca had the upper hand as a result of the City striker’s positive relationship with Messi, on a personal and national basis.
As a result, the negotiations surrounding Aguero’s likely move to Catalunya have advanced at pace after positive talks between the club and the player’s agent. Only minor details needed to be ironed out before Aguero puts his name to the contract for the switch to be settled before it will be announced to the public from the Catalan club.
Joan Laporta employed his standard diplomatic wherewithal to attract Aguero using the relationship Messi has with him as a strong incentive to sway Aguero towards La Blaugrana at his first contact with Aguero’s advisors during the elections that he won for a return to Barca administration. He doubled down on that after becoming President and appears set to have achieved his target.
The acquisition of a Messi buddy increases the prospect of Messi deciding to remain at the club, a choice he has put away until the season ends. Bringing in Aguero has the effect of making Messi see the club’s efforts in keeping with the indices the club captain has said he will consider such as the club’s seriousness in strengthening the squad depth to make them more competitive domestically and across Europe.
It will also mark the stamp of Laporta on transfers at the club as he begins to bring about the necessary changes to make the club more structured overall and initiate policies to weed out all instances of financial recklessness and impropriety that have come to burden the club with expenses and threats of insolvency.
