Chelsea target Aguero impresses his suitors

November 5, 2009

The prospect of seeing Sergio “Kun” Aguero pulling on a blue shirt next season instead of the red and white stripes of Atletico Madrid must be a mouthwatering one for any Chelsea fan.

The 21-year-old Argentina striker, nicknamed “Kun” after a Japanese cartoon character with a similar hairstyle, showed why he remains a target for top clubs when he came off the bench and scored two superb goals in the 2-2 draw at the Calderon on Tuesday.

Cash-strapped Atletico turned down offers for him over the close season including, reportedly, one of around 35 million euros from Chelsea. His contract includes a buyout clause worth 60 million.

The London club are waiting to hear the result of their appeal against FIFA’s transfer ban and could make another move for Aguero either in the January transfer window or next summer.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti said this week he could see Aguero playing alongside Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba but added that he thought it would be hard for Chelsea to snare the Argentine.

The contrasting playing styles of the pair were evident on Tuesday.

Aguero, with his low centre of gravity, is hard to shake off the ball and is at his best running at defenders. On his day he is a deadly finisher, as Barcelona found out to their cost last season.

Drogba is all about muscle, which he used to good effect on Tuesday when he outjumped the Atletico defence to score a header and then bulldozed his way through to net a second.

Aguero fathered a son, Benjamin, with Diego Maradona’s daughter Giannina in February and Maradona, who is also Aguero’s boss as Argentina coach, advised him last year to seek a move to Inter Milan.

Atletico, 18th in La Liga after nine matches with just one win, are almost certain to miss out on a Champions League spot for next season, making it much more likely Aguero will move on from the Spanish capital.

PHOTO: Atletico Madrid’s Sergio “Kun” Aguero (L) scores with a free kick against Chelsea, Nov 3, 2009. REUTERS/Juan Medina

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Tags: Argentina, Argentine, atletico madrid, Barcelona, Benjamin, carlo ancelotti, centre of gravity, chelsea fan, didier drogba, diego maradona, free kick, giannina, inter milan, Ivory Coast, japanese cartoon character, Juan, london, london club, MADRID, Milan, red and white stripes, Sergio, sergio kun aguero, son benjamin, spanish capital, target, top clubs, transfer ban, white stripes

Aguero magic could pose problem for Atletico

March 4, 2009

The sort of performance Sergio Aguero turned in to inspire victory over Barcelona could be a curse as well as a blessing for Atletico Madrid, who are only going to find themselves under more pressure to sell him to one of Europe’s powerhouse clubs come the end of the season.

The gifted 20-year-old, nicknamed “Kun” after a Japanese comic book hero, scored two superb goals, including a dramatic 89th minute winner, as Atletico twice came from behind to stun the visiting Primera Liga leaders 4-3.

The match was a near carbon copy of the same fixture exactly a year earlier, when Aguero grabbed a brace and created one goal in the Madrid club’s 4-2 comeback win, and the quality of his performance was underscored by the fact that he outshone his more famous compatriot Lionel Messi.

However, he has looked unsettled at times this season and was unhappy with coach Abel Resino’s decision to replace him in the 56th minute of last week’s Champions League draw with Porto.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona, the father of Aguero’s partner Gianinna, has publicly advised him to seek a move to Inter Milan and the Serie A leaders have confirmed they are monitoring him.

“We’ll be hearing again today how the big boys of Europe want to buy him,” F. Javier Diaz wrote in Monday’s edition of Spanish sports newspaper As. “For now he’s playing in the red and white stripes of Atletico, not at Inter, Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona, and it’s a matter of pride for the Atletico fans to hold on to him.”

Aguero said last month he was happy at Atletico and was not thinking about moving on but the pressure on the club to cash in will surely mount as his star continues to rise.

Selling him could make sense for both the player and the club, which lacks the earning power of Real and Barca, and they could use the proceeds to bolster a squad missing the depth enjoyed by their richer rivals.

If Atletico do try to hold on to Aguero, Champions League football will be a key factor.

Their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals of this year’s competition look slim after the 2-2 draw with Porto in Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 clash.

The win over Barca moved them up into fifth spot in the Spanish league but they are still three points behind Villarreal in fourth and eight shy of third-placed Sevilla.

PHOTO: Atletico Madrid’s Sergio “Kun” Aguero celebrates after scoring against Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, March 1, 2009. REUTERS/Stringer

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