Transfer Centre

Pep Guardiola: Sergio Aguero "most important" player for Manchester City

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 03 February 2017

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claims that there is plenty of room for both new signing Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero, amid talk that latter wants to leave.

Pep Guardiola has denied talk of a rift with Sergio Aguero and claimed that the striker is arguably Manchester City's "most important" player.

The Argentina international was a substitute for the Citizens last time out as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Gabriel Jesus's arrival from Palmeiras last month has given Guardiola further options up top, but talk of a summer exit for Aguero - linked heavily to Real Madrid and Inter Milan - appears to be wide of the mark.

"There is no doubt about the quality of Sergio," Guardiola told reporters. "I can say how happy I am with what he did - except the seven games when he was banned.

"The big clubs in Europe always have a lot of strikers - and there has been at this club too - [Mario] Balotelli, [Carlos] Tevez, Sergio, [Edin] Dzeko all together. In the big clubs, you see at Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus - at Madrid, [Alvaro] Morata doesn't play. Big clubs need a lot of strikers and we do.

"Sergio remains the most - or one of the most - important players in our squad. Without him it will not be possible. He's played all the games except one in Barcelona for a tactical decision and one when he'd come back from Argentina. The other games when he was not banned he always played - and played good."

Aguero, who recently extended his contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2020, has 18 goals in 25 appearances for City so far this season.