The plan for Barcelona was to announce a number of signings following the end of the Champions League final.
It only took two days after Chelsea beat Manchester City for the club to announce the first signing as the Catalans officially introduced Sergio Aguero as the team’s newest striker.
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Barcelona find their striker in Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.
According to ESPN, Aguero signed a two-year deal and a €100 million release clause.
It is expected that the Argentinian will be a replacement for Martin Braithwaite who is set to leave in the summer.
Barcelona has been looking for a striker to take over for Luis Suarez even before he was sold to Atletico Madrid.
Despite being 32, the plan with Aguero is that he will serve as a stopgap until next season when the club will do what they can to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Aguero’s last season with Man City was filled with injuries. When fit, however, he looked like he had not lost his inane ability to score goals. That ability is what Barcelona are going to count on for next season.
AGÜEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/iebAeYtjLp
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 31, 2021
A side effect of Aguero signing is the hope that it means Lionel Messi will sign a new deal with the club. Aguero was asked about his best friend and Argentina teammate in his press conference.
"“We hope to play together, of course,” Aguero said. “But what happens with Leo is a decision he will take with the club. It’s a pleasure to play with him. If he stays here, which I think he will, we will give our best for the club to achieve big things.”Source: ESPN"
In addition to convincing Messi to stay, Barcelona are hoping that Aguero will be able to provide the scoring threat they lacked last season. While they led the league in goals, 85, they struggled to score in deciding games down the stretch.
His age has become a factor in questioning the signing but it is a relatively low risk move. Aguero signed on a free and lowered his wages. If he can stay fit and contribute, the move will pay off. If he doesn’t, it’s only a two-year deal and both sides can easily cut their losses.