He is a living legend in Manchester City, the top scorer in the history of the club, a player who lived the great hours of the Guardiola era. So when Sergio Agüero speaks about the Skyblues coach, his words are necessarily scrutinized and analyzed. In a recent interview with Stake.comthe Argentinian spoke of the future of the Mancunian bench. And between the lines, despite the recent extension of the Pep Guardiola contract (signed last November), “El Kun” clearly seems to indicate that it is time to consider the continuation … and he has even already designated the ideal successor.
For Agüero, the post-Guardiola issue may not be that distant, and the solution is found. He without hesitation designates Mikel Arteta, the current Arsenal manager and former PEP assistant to City. “Arteta does a brilliant job at Arsenal”, Underlined Agüero, before adding, as if to prepare the opinion: “If you are looking for a response to the future and if Arteta could be a good manager for City – I would say that he is qualified for the task. »»
A dubbing in good standing for Spanish, presented as the providential man to take over, suggesting that Guardiola's time could receive his end earlier than expected.
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This position of Agüero in favor of a change on the bench may surprise, but it may be part of a more complex personal context. The relationship between the Argentinian striker and Pep Guardiola was not always a long, quiet river during their common years in City, and the end of the adventure of Agüero at the club, in 2021, was not very simple. These statements indirectly push Guardiola towards the exit by already promoting his successor, could they be a subtle way for “El Kun” to settle certain accounts with his former mentor?
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Agüero's intervention comes as Manchester City is going through a more complicated season than the previous ones, risking hanging only on the FA Cup as the only trophy. This context of less flamboyant results could explain why Agüero already opens the debate of the succession, even if Guardiola extended until 2026. The Argentinian himself conceded that the subject was “Degrish for the moment” (“Moot Right Now”), but its insistence in validating Arteta shows a clear desire to anticipate, even to precipitate, the transition.
By designating Mikel Arteta as the legitimate heir, Sergio Agüero, voice listened to and respected in Manchester, sends a strong message. Even if City management will not necessarily follow the opinion of its former star and that Pep Guardiola is under contract, this media outing inevitably feeds the debate at the end of an exceptional cycle. For Agüero, it already seems time to turn the page and entrust the reins to the most gifted student of the Catalan master.
