So it seems Roberto Mancini wants to replace Manchester City’s mercurial Argentinian with a fellow countryman. The Italian has earmarked Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Agüero as the man he wants to step into the soon to be vacated shoes of captain and talismanic goal scorer Carlos Tevez. According to The Sun, City are in advanced talks with Atletico over a £35 million pound deal for the 23 year old.
Mancini sees him as the ideal successor to Tevez who looks likely to leave Eastland’s once and for all after months of grumbling about his future at the club. Off the field we had it all from Tevez last season with the player slapping a transfer request in, considering early retirement and falling out with a number of executives at the club.
But in his two years on the field he’s proved to be simply invaluable during the clubs rise up the Premier League. His commitment and intensity on the pitch coupled with him consistently finding the back of the net and boasting record better than any City forward over the last 10 years. Sadly though it looks like Tevez won’t be wearing the famous light blue next season and Mancini want’s Agüero as City’s new idol.
But, if he does finally leave Atletico and take up residence in the blue half of Manchester will he be able to replace his fellow countryman? It would be foolish of Mancini to expect him to replicate what Tevez offers to City not just in attack but also all over the field. The pressure on the club to win trophies and perform at the high end of the Premier League is 100 times more intense than it was five years ago.
Only in the last two years have City finally started to show some sort of progress and that coincided with Tevez’s arrival at the club. Everyone knew how good he was at neighbours United but he has taken things to a whole new level at City, which culminated in winning the FA Cup last season and qualification to the Champions League.
Tevez plays like a bulldog. His stocky physique is perfect for the high paced rough and tumble Premier League. His ability to barge people off and hold up the ball despite his diminutive five foot eight height is remarkable. Agüero is a similar size but not as well built as Tevez. Then there’s his insatiable nature to chase down and be a nuisance to defenders which is something City fans haven’t seen since the days of the Wasp himself Paul Dickov. Can you see Agüero chasing lost causes and make defenders run scared?
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When it comes down to technical ability Agüero probably edges it. His light footedness on the ball and ability to glide past defenders without breaking a sweat is a joy to watch at times. He has a footballing brain that so many of us dream of possessing. Then again you do get around thirty minutes on the ball in Spain to decide what you want to do. It would be risky to bring Agüero in and expect him to adapt to his new surroundings and pace of the Premier League whilst also replacing Tevez. The pressure on his shoulders could turn him into another expensive City striking flop.
Impatient City fans have already seen the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy, Jo, Felipe Caicedo and even Edin Dzeko sign for big money and perform at a standard well below where the club aspires to be. However for a player who made his debut at 15 for Independiente before making the move to Atletico aged 18, pressure would be something he’s used too. But playing in the Premier League with fans screaming at you every week and expectations exceedingly high it can be a daunting prospect even for the most experience of players.
There is no doubting Agüero’s abilities as a footballer in La Liga but coming to the Premier League and trying to fill the boots of Tevez will be a tough task if it does transpire. At 23 he does have time on his side but in the burdensome environment that is England’s top division time is a luxury that might not be afforded.
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