A messy Man City divorce? Why Pep could sell star man Aguero

 

The current situation at the Etihad Stadium does not add up but the idea of selling the Argentine would be more unpopular than axing Joe Hart and Yaya Toure It couldn't happen, could it? Would Pep Guardiola really get rid of Sergio Aguero, one of the best and most popular players Manchester City have ever had?

He just might.
It is important to point out straight off the bat that Aguero is not in the same boat as Joe Hart, Yaya Toure and, to a lesser extent, Vincent Kompany.
Guardiola decided before he had even left Bayern Munich that he wanted rid of Hart and Toure, and City were open to the idea of selling Kompany this summer before those plans were scuppered when he suffered a long-term thigh injury in May.
The Belgian is fighting to save his City career and was left out of Guardiola's 18-man squad for the game against Barcelona on Wednesday despite being fit.
Aguero made the squad but was left on the bench for the game at Camp Nou, and while it may appear obvious or even easy to jump to the conclusion that there is a problem between player and coach, their situation certainly appears complicated.
City closed a deal for Gabriel Jesus this summer - following a personal phone call from Guardiola - because, sources have told Goal, they believe the Brazilian's arrival will give Aguero a metaphorical kick up the backside.
City also had discussions about signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in June, but baulked at Borussia Dortmund's asking price.
Just as their attempts to sign two new centre-backs would have done little to make Kompany feel wanted, City's intentions will have put Aguero on alert.

 

That is exactly what Guardiola wants, and he has not been been shy in pointing out that he wants more, much more, from the Argentine. It was as early as the second weekend of the Premier League season when the Catalan went out of his way to spell out that he wants more defensive effort from Aguero, who had already scored six goals in three games by that point.
It's a theme he returned to after City's 3-1 win at Swansea City, the type of far-flung ground where irregular City watchers ask about the striker's importance to the cause and are told how good he is.
On that day, though, they got a different answer.
Guardiola has also pointed out, correctly, that every player, manager and even journalist should feel pressure that they will be replaced if they do a bad job. But everything suggests the odds were stacked against Aguero from day one, or most likely even before.
Aguero has spoken of how demanding his coach is, but says he is adapting to the new requirements, even if his comments about risking everything to play for his country may not have been too popular.
City sources insist there is no issue between manager and star player but the current situation does not appear rosy, and there is no denying that his contract situation is especially peculiar to say the least.