Once Sergio Aguero announced that he would not be returning to Manchester City, Barcelona quickly emerged as a possible destination.
The Catalans have been desperate for a striker for a while and given their limited spending power, Aguero potentially arriving on a free transfer could have been an ideal scenario.
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Both the player and the club have come closer to making that possibility a reality.
Barcelona close to finding a short-term solution at striker.
According to Sport, Barcelona has reached an agreement in principle with the Argentinian to join the Spanish giants next season. The deal would see Aguero linked with the club for the next two seasons.
The report claims that the striker has also agreed to lower his salary demands and Ronald Koeman has approved his signing.
The manager had been pushing hard for the club to sign Lyon’s Memphis Depay and it is believed his signing has not been discarded even if they do reach a total agreement with Aguero.
Another consequence the arrival of Aguero brings is regarding the future of Martin Braithwaite. While the Catalans appreciate his professionalism, the Danish striker will be put on the market in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Despite being 32, Barca believe Aguero still has a couple of years left as a top-level striker. At the very least they believe he would be a better option, even if off the bench, than Braithwaite.
Should he arrive, however, he’ll start off as the second striker and his playing time may depend on the system they use and maybe on who the manager is next season. Koeman’s future is not secure after the side’s latest stumbles.
If a deal is reached, Aguero will get to play alongside Lionel Messi. It’s one of the reasons he was willing to lower his salary demands.
Joan Laporta and his board hope Aguero can be a decent enough placeholder until they can prepare a bid to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland in a year’s time.