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Sergio Aguero to Leave Manchester City At the End of the Season
It is the end of an era at Manchester City. The club announced on Monday that Sergio Aguero will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season after 10 years with the club.
The 32-year-old is the only member of the current Manchester City team to play a part in City's first-ever Premier League title in 2011-12. He scored a last-minute goal in dramatic fashion against QPR to steal the title away from rival Manchester United on the last day of the season.
Aguero went on to a storied career with Manchester City by winning three more league titles and becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 257 goals. The Argentine international is the top non-English scorer in Premier League history with 181 goals. The total also puts him fourth on the all-time list.
Aguero struggled with injuries throughout this season. He scored just three goals in 14 appearances. However, with a 14-point lead atop the Premier League table, Manchester City is expected to win a fifth title since Aguero arrived at the club in a $44 million move from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
"When a cycle comes to an end, many sensations arise," Aguero said in a statement. "A huge sense of satisfaction and pride remains in me for having played with Manchester City for a whole ten seasons—unusual for a professional player in this day and age.
"... As for myself I will continue to give it my utmost for the rest of the season with more titles and bring more joy to the fans. Then a new stage with new challenges will begin, and I am fully ready to face them with the same passion and professionalism that I have always dedicated to continue competing at the highest level."
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) March 29, 2021
Reports in Spain have linked the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, who is currently free to negotiate with foreign clubs, with a free transfer to Barcelona along with European giants Juventus and PSG.
Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.