Monday, December 23, 2024

Pellegrini plays down Aguero rumours; BVB defend keeping Lewandowski

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has moved to play down speculation linking Sergio Aguero with a move away from the Etihad Stadium next summer.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has moved to play down speculation linking Sergio Aguero with a move away from the Etihad Stadium next summer, Sky Sports understands.

Aguero, who joined City from Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of around €45 million in 2011, has been on cracking form for both club and country this season.

The Argentina international, 25, has bagged 16 goals and six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions for City in 2013/14, while adding five goals in seven international caps.

Aguero is under contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2017, but fresh rumours are suggesting Spanish giants Real Madrid are planning a summer move for the in-form striker.

“I don’t know anything about that. I don’t think Sergio wants to leave. That is not a problem for us. I don’t believe in that,” said Pellegrini following City’s 3-0 win over Swansea on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure — who has also been linked with a move away from Manchester in recent weeks — has insisted he is happy at the club.

Toure, a £24 million signing from FC Barcelona, intends to lead City to the UEFA Champions League crown in the near future.

“Winning the Champions League was why I came to City. God willing, it will happen because that is what this club was working towards when they signed players like Kun Aguero and David Silva,” the Ivorian told the Sunday Mirror.

“With important players like that, I am sure that, in the next few years, we will win all the important trophies.”

City, currently in 3rd-place in the English Premier League table, have already booked their rightful place in the Champions League knockout stages.

BVB defend keeping Lewandowski

Borussia Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed the form of Robert Lewandowski has warranted the club’s refusal to sell him in the summer.

Lewandowski submitted a transfer request to the club at the end of last season, but Watzke opted not to cash in on the highly-rated talisman.

Dortmund passed up a potential transfer fee in the region of €20 million for the Poland international, a decision that will probably come back to haunt them.

Lewandowski, 25, is now free to leave Signal Iduna Park (on a free transfer) in the summer, with the majority of reports indicating he is set to move to Bayern Munich.

“When you open up the papers tomorrow, you’ll see who is at the top of the scoring charts and that maybe we were right to keep hold of him,” Watzke told ZDF television.

“Ideally, we should just be concentrating on normal things, which are maybe to win one or perhaps a few more games than them [Bayern].

“Sooner or later, we’ll be up there once again. There are still a few chapters available in the book of fairytales.

“We’ve just got to admit that Bayern have a 30-year headstart on us.”

Were Dortmund right to keep Lewandowski?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn Etemadi


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