In the summer of 2011, when Manchester City finalized a £35 million transfer for the 23-year-old Sergio Aguero, they secured the signature of one of global football’s most highly-rated young forwards.
Aguero’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium came five years after his initial journey to Europe as a teenager, which saw Atletico Madrid shell out €20 million to sign him from Argentine outfit Independiente.
During his stint in Spain’s capital, the Argentine attacker attracted interest from several of the most prominent clubs across the European continent.
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Aguero discusses rejecting Juventus in favor of Manchester City
The Italian powerhouse Juventus was heavily involved in the pursuit of Aguero during that transfer window, with the Bianconeri preparing for life after their legendary talisman, Alessandro Del Piero.
However, a different opportunity proved more appealing to Aguero than the daunting task of filling the boots of a club icon like Del Piero.
“I was representing Argentina at the 2011 Copa America when I first heard of Manchester City’s desire to sign me,” Aguero explained to FourFourTwo.
“Having spent five seasons with Atletico Madrid, my representative Hernan Reguera got in touch to inform me about City’s strong interest.”
Although the prospect of moving to Manchester instantly excited the young forward, he remained fully conscious of alternative options.
“Juventus showed a massive interest and a transfer was nearly wrapped up—they were planning for the departure of Alessandro Del Piero back then.”
During this period, City’s influence was rapidly rising under Sheikh Mansour’s substantial investment, yet Aguero’s motivation went beyond simply joining an emerging powerhouse in English football.
“In reality, once Manchester City made contact, I had already set my mind because of my long-standing affection for English football,” he added, before opening up about his admiration for a legendary Premier League goalscorer.
“Michael Owen was someone I deeply admired; he was a true role model to me, and my ultimate goal was to test myself in the Premier League.”
Shortly after, Aguero finalized his transfer to Manchester, embarking on a highly successful ten-year tenure that saw him establish himself as City’s greatest-ever goalscorer while capturing five Premier League championships.
During this summer’s World Cup tournament, Sergio Aguero served as an official ambassador for FIFA Hospitality
