Sergio Aguero reveals being “on the verge” of leaving Manchester City for Premier League rivals in 2017 | OneFootball

Legendary former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has revealed being close to joining Premier League rivals Chelsea early in Pep Guardiola’s tenure.

Aguero’s place in City folklore is unquestioned, with the Argentine widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history following a trophy-laden decade at the Etihad Stadium.

However, his latest comments have offered a fresh insight into a turbulent period of transition for both player and club following Pep Guardiola’s arrival in the summer of 2016.

The 2016/17 season marked a significant turning point for City as Guardiola began reshaping the squad. Several senior figures moved on or saw roles questioned, including Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Gaël Clichy, and Yaya Touré. Aguero, despite a prolific record, was not immune from uncertainty as the Catalan sought to impose tactical identity.

During that campaign, Pep Guardiola frequently rotated attacking options, occasionally leaving Aguero on the bench. The City manager also publicly challenged the striker to improve aspects of off-the-ball work, fuelling speculation at the time that the club could sanction a major departure if the right offer arrived.

In hindsight, Aguero would go on to adapt his game and thrive under Guardiola, playing a crucial role in City’s domestic dominance. Yet, as he has now revealed, his future at the club hung by a thread during that early phase of Guardiola’s reign.

Speaking during a new conversation with La Agusneta, as translated and relayed by All About Argentina, Sergio Aguero revealed just how close he came to making a move to Stamford Bridge early in Guardiola’s Etihad tenure.

“In 2017, I was on the verge of going to Chelsea and then Manchester City cancelled the deal in the last minute,” Aguero admitted. “[Antonio] Conte wanted me with [Eden] Hazard, Diego Costa was leaving.”

Had a move to Chelsea gone through, the trajectory of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City project may have looked very different. Sergio Aguero would instead remain in Manchester, eventually becoming Guardiola’s most reliable goalscorer and adapting his all-round game to suit the manager’s positional play.

The commitment shown by the Argentine ultimately paid dividends, as he helped deliver multiple Premier League titles before departing the club as a five-time English top-flight champion.

For Manchester City supporters, the idea that their greatest-ever striker nearly joined a direct rival will come as a surprise, and a reminder of how close the club came to losing a cornerstone figure just as a new era was beginning.