Sergio Aguero is one of Manchester City’s modern legends, scoring over 250 goals and winning various trophies in England, but he wanted to play for Premier League rival Liverpool instead
Sergio Aguero may be a Manchester City icon, but he has never hidden his affection for their Premier League rivals, Liverpool. As the two former league champions square off at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Argentine may be in two minds about who to support.
Aguero got his start in football in his home country, playing for Club Atletico Independiente, where he scored 23 goals as a teenager. He began to attract attention from top clubs in Europe, with Bayern Munich expressing interest in the then-17-year-old.
Sky Sports reported in 2005 that Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hinted at bringing the highly-rated youngster to the Bundesliga. However, Aguero told Munich TZ newspaper that he would prefer a move to Merseyside instead.
He said: “If I had to choose a league then it would be the Premier League. I have been a Liverpool fan for as long as I can remember and it would be a dream to play there. I watched the Champions League final and celebrated every goal as if it was for Independiente.”
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Then-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez had dipped into the Argentine market to sign defender Gabriel Paletta from Banfield and may have been tempted by Aguero at the time. Instead, the young striker moved to Atletico Madrid a year later in a deal worth £20million.
This is where Aguero hit the European stage, scoring 101 goals and assisting 47 times in 234 appearances for the La Liga outfit. This included 20 goal contributions in both the Europa League and Champions League, catching the eye of City manager Roberto Mancini.
Aguero got his move to the Premier League in 2011, joining the blue side of Manchester in a £35m transfer. The rest is history, as the Argentine striker became a hero in the top flight, scoring 260 goals and assisting 65 times in 390 appearances.
The striker won a lot of silverware under Mancini, as well as Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola. These trophies included five Premier League titles, six League Cups, three Community Shields and one FA Cup.
But even after he left football in 2021, Aguero has been open about his support for City’s rivals as a youngster. Speaking to Stake in 2023, Aguero said: “I used to like Liverpool when I was younger because of Owen, who had also started as a teenager. Even when I was playing on my Playstation, I tried to play like Owen!
“In my 10 years at City, we’ve had amazing games with Liverpool. Even more so lately, fighting for the Premier League head to head. I’ve scored some important goals, but never got to score at Anfield, though.”
When asked if he could’ve joined the Reds earlier in his career, Aguero added: “I wouldn’t know, really. I’ve read that they didn’t go out for an offer because I was very young and it seemed like a risky bet for the transfer cost.”
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