Pep Guardiola would 'love' a striker who can get 50 GOALS a season

Pep Guardiola would ‘love’ a striker who can get 50 GOALS a season to replace departing Sergio Aguero… but Man City boss refuses to be drawn on if wantaway Tottenham star Harry Kane is his No 1 replacement choice

  • Sergio Aguero is departing from Manchester City at the end of the season
  • The Argentine has said it is harder and harder to score in England’s top flight
  • Pep Guardiola joked he wants a striker ‘who scores 50 goals a season’ at City
  • The current Premier League champions are in the market for Spurs’ Harry Kane 

Manchester City’s departing record goalscorer Sergio Aguero has said it is becoming increasingly difficult for Premier League strikers because of the improvements in defending, a farewell message that may help Pep Guardiola persuade his bosses to sign Harry Kane.

Aguero, who has scored 258 times for City and is fourth on the all-time Premier League list with 182, will bid an emotional farewell to the Etihad Stadium against Everton today when he will also collect his fifth league title.

A lethal marksman over the last decade, Aguero claims goals used to be easier to come by.

Pep Guardiola (right) said he would love a 50 goal a season striker to replace Sergio Aguero

 The mercurial Argentine is leaving Manchester City after a decade in the Premier League

‘Since I arrived, the mentality of the players has changed,’ he said. ‘The Premier League is an example of how football is getting more difficult every season because of the mentality of our opponents.

‘They are much more prepared than they were before. The players have changed their diets and training regimes. There have been huge improvements in terms of physicality.

‘When I first came, there were centre backs that weren’t that quick, but they were strong. Nowadays they are quick and strong. That’s a big change.’

With Aguero both injured and suffering a bout of Covid this season, Guardiola’s champions have shared the goals around with midfielder Ilkay Gundogan top-scoring with 13 league strikes.

But with Kane on the market for anything between £100million and £150m, the City boss admits he would not be averse to benefiting from a trusted goalscorer next season.

City have been linked with a £150m move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane to replace Aguero

 Aguero departs Manchester City this summer with five Premier League titles to his name

‘I’d love to have a striker who got 50 goals a season honestly, but at the same time I don’t like to put all the pressure on one player,’ he said, though he will not be drawn specifically on the England captain who is contractually tied to Tottenham.

‘In Barcelona, Lionel Messi, every season since he was born, scored 50 a season. In the Premier League, with just one guy you won’t win it. You need three guys with more than 10 to be competitive.

‘But when you have a guy who can get 25-30 it helps a lot, honestly. We will try for the way we play for everyone to be involved.’

Battling for Kane will represent a change in City’s transfer approach. Though they are heavy spenders they have tended to distribute their biggest signing. The club’s record buy is £64m Ruben Dias, less than Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have spent on individual players. However, Kane will cost far in excess of that.

Aguero will forever be remembered for his injury-time winner against QPR in 2012, timed at 93 minutes and 20 seconds, to give City their first Premier League title at Manchester United’s expense.

He will forever be part of City folklore following his stoppage time win to defeat Queens Park Rangers in 2012, helping Roberto Mancini’s side win their maiden Premier League title

‘It is the best memory I’ll ever have in my head. I don’t think it will happen again in another country or in this one,’ said the 32-year-old.

‘It was the best moment of my life. Every time I watch the goal with my friends or my son shows it to me, it feels like yesterday even though a lot of time has passed.

‘It was just so crazy. So amazing. We won more titles after that but the celebrations that year were very different. We went with our families and everyone from the club to party that night. 

‘We were all still in shock. I think we celebrated for two days in a row. It was incredible. We would shout, ‘Champions, champions!’ all the time. We were just so happy. It was a unique moment.’

Aguero, whose contract with City runs out this summer, is in talks with Barcelona about a two-year deal.




Share this article

Source: Read Full Article