BEVERLY HILLS, May 21, (THEWILL) – La Liga bigwigs Barcelona are in the final stages of a deal to bring Sergio Aguero to Catalonia from Manchester City on a free transfer at the end of next month, when his contract with the English Premier League champions finally expires.
As reported by THEWILL in March, the decision for him to continue his professional career outside the team at the Etihad was reached earlier this year allowing Aguero to seek another contract for his services after 10 years in the EPL side where he became their all-time record goalscorer and the highest scoring overseas EPL player ever.
Although the Argentine was linked with moves to Chelsea and Tottenham that could have allowed him remain in the EPL, Barcelona made concrete moves to bring him to La Liga and have likely won the race to join the veteran striker to their talismanic captain and Aguero’s compatriot, Lionel Messi.
After initial negotiations began two weeks ago, the details have been ironed out and the 32-year-old was later believed to have reached an agreement “in principle” with the Catalans over a proposed two-year deal on reduced wages compared to what he was earning at City, which may be fair considering his age.
Part of these negotiations involved Aguero accepting a squad rotation role with the implication being that he will not always be a regular starter and could perhaps replace Martin Braithwaite’s current position but, this may change with a demonstration of his ability to complement Messi’s play and offer more threats for the Barca frontline.
The signing of the highest goal-scorer for the English champions is also seen as a potential catalyst by Camp Nou officials to incentivise Lionel Messi to sign a new deal at it demonstrates the administration’s desire to improve the squad depth and make the side more competitive than it has been this season.
La Blaugrana also had the intentions to add Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland to the squad, but a difficult financial position was always going to make launching a bid for the sensational youngster, on whose head Dortmund slammed an huge asking price, close to impossible at the moment.
Meanwhile, bringing a player like Lyon’s forward Memphis Depay to Camp Nou remains on the cards. Depay will be out of contract this summer and has been an attractive option for Barca, a fact that is made sweeter if the Dutch international can move on a free transfer basis.
Depay has spoken publicly about Barça’s interest in him but, the 27-year-old insists that he still has other options and has not yet made a decision which way he will move.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
