Sergio Aguero would have won World Cup for Argentina if fit says Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta
Man City and Argentina team-mate Pablo Zabaleta believes the 26-year-old striker is back to his best after overcoming the injuries which ruined his World Cup in Brazil
Sergio Agüero is in the form of his career and would have won the World Cup for Argentina had he avoided injury, according to Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta.
Agüero took his goal tally for the season to 19 in 20 games after scoring twice in City's 4-1 victory over Sunderlandat the Stadium of Light on Wednesday.
With City moving to within six points of leaders Chelsea at the top of the Premier League on the back of Agüero’s goal spree that has taken him past Diego Costa as the league’s leading scorer with 14, the forward has underlined his status as the crucial component of Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
And City and Argentina team-mate Zabaleta believes the 26-year-old is now producing his best football after overcoming the injuries which disrupted his World Cup in Brazil.
"I’ve known Sergio a long time and I think this is probably the best moment of his career," Zabaleta said. "Everything he does, he makes it look so easy. He’s sharp and clinical. He is also working really hard for the team off the ball. That’s something you have to appreciate from Sergio.
"Normally strikers want to play with the ball, but he is working hard for the team and I think he’s been great.
"Of course you think what might have been in the World Cup if he’d been fit. You want your top players to be there in their top form. When you have that, you have a lot of chance to win games.
"Unfortunately Sergio had struggled with injuries last season and it continued into the World Cup – but it would have been different with him 100 per cent fit. Probably he’s the best striker in the world at the moment and we are very lucky to have him in our team. He’s been great this season and hopefully he can continue like this."
Stevan Jovetic, the City forward, claims that Agüero’s form now places him in the same bracket as Ballon d’Or nominees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"He is the best player I have ever played with," Jovetic said. "He can score some goals. He is great. He does it every game and for me, it is Messi and Ronaldo and then him – one of the best players in the world.
"I liked the first goal at Sunderland because when he stopped the ball, it was going away from him, and in the last second he did a nutmeg, and scored. Then his assist for me was great as well. He is on fire, and if he is like this we can do big things."
Jovetic insists the champions have time to overhaul Jose Mourinho’s team at the top of the table.
"They are still in front of us, and are a good team, but nothing is done, especially now," Jovetic said. "In the next two months, we have a lot of games in the Premier League and here every game is tough and they can drop points.
"We just need to think about ourselves, do our job well and be right behind them if they do drop points. We are not giving up, but we know we cannot drop points. We are six behind them and it’s going to be difficult but nothing is done yet. We still have belief."
The 20-year-old made a fan of Txiki Begiristain with a star turn at Goodison Park last season and the Premier League champions are lining up a £40m summer move
Saturday’s clash with Manchester City offers a chance for Everton to reignite a top-four challenge that has so far been driven to Europa League distraction. For Ross Barkley, it doubles as an opportunity to reassert the prodigious talent already held in high regard within the corridors of power at the Etihad Stadium.
Back in May, City travelled to Goodison Park needing a win to edge ahead of a faltering Liverpool on goal difference in the Premier League title race. Barkley had other ideas, breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute with a sensational 25-yard curling strike that bore a passing resemblance to the goal with which a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney announced himself to the footballing world against Arsenal in October 2002.
City seized control of the game through Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko before half-time, when Txiki Begiristain, watching from an executive box, took the opportunity to wax lyrical about Barkley’s brilliance to senior figures at Everton. After the break the 20-year-old effortlessly turned Javi Garcia on the halfway line and surged powerfully upfield before finding Steven Naismith, who forced a fingertip save from Joe Hart. City went on to win the match and the title, but their director of football left Goodison that day with a new name on his list of key transfer targets.
A £25 million approach was made last summer but Everton, having tied their star man to a new four-year contract in July, rejected it out of hand. They value Barkley at £50m and manager Roberto Martinez has scarcely passed on an opportunity to talk up his prized asset since, describing him as potentially “the best player England has ever had” during last month’s international break.
Yet Barkley remains high on Begiristain’s agenda. City are willing to stretch to £40m next summer and there is a belief that Everton would do business at that price. Even a January move would be considered viable if any indication were given on Merseyside that a deal could be done mid-season.
All this might sound incredibly sudden in relation to a 20-year-old with just one full Premier League campaign under his belt, but it is no City whim. Begiristain is renowned for leaving no stone unturned when assessing potential signings and planning transfer windows months in advance.
In the summer of 2013, deals for Jesus Navas, Fernandinho and Alvaro Negredo were completed early and all three hit the ground running in English football. More recently the arrivals of Bacary Sagna, Fernando, Willy Caballero and Eliaquim Mangala were similarly handled with a minimum of fuss.
The feedback on Barkley – in terms of ability, application in training and attitude on and off the pitch – has been universally positive. Moreover, in the coming years the implementation of a domestic core is a crucial part of City’s overall strategy and the opportunity to acquire a young Englishman whose talent has prompted comparison with Rooney and Paul Gascoigne is too good to pass up.
Last summer’s contract extension leaves Everton holding most of the cards in any negotiation and, particularly if more European football is secured this season to supplement bumper Premier League TV income, they will be under no obligation to sell their most valuable asset.
Nor is Barkley inclined to agitate for a move. He understands that time is on his side and still feels indebted to the club that nurtured him back to fitness after a horrific leg break sustained in October 2010 threatened to derail his career. Above all, he wants to continue his rapid development by playing regular football.
It’s unclear whether City would be able to offer that immediately. The suggestion is, however, that Yaya Toure will be moving on at the end of this season, and the departures of several other squad members would likely create space for Barkley to command significant minutes.
Begiristain is also still working on a potential megadeal for the apparently unsettled Lionel Messi, and the presence of the Argentine superstar would make the Etihad Stadium a more attractive destination for any player.
A cursory glance around the Premier League reveals few obvious rivals for Barkley’s signature. Chelsea have the financial capability but already possess a youthful squad and are well-stocked with quality options in attacking midfield.
So too, as always, are Arsenal. Manchester United have Rooney, Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj competing for the No.10 position and Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria as expensive deeper recruits, while Tottenham have already spent the Gareth Bale money. Liverpool, managing the decline of an ageing Steven Gerrard, have the greatest need, but Merseyside rivalry means they could never be an option.
Further afield, Xavi was unequivocal in his assertion last month that Barkley is good enough to play for Barcelona, but the Catalan giants remain shackled by a transfer ban until the summer of 2016. Bitter rivals Real Madrid are more accustomed to signing players whose stars have already ascended, and nothing suggests Bayern Munich will enter the conversation.
If Barkley is inclined to remain in the North West, only City come close to ticking all the boxes. The club’s latest financial results – combined with expected income from the sales of Alvaro Negredo, John Guidetti and others – also ensures a big-money deal next summer will not see them fall foul of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play regulations for the second successive year.
Starting on Saturday, all that remains for Barkley to do between now and May is keep Begiristain convinced that he is worth the investment.
Manchester City headed Down Under
English Premier League giants Manchester City will play in next year’s Australian edition of the International Champions Cup at Melbourne's MCG, it was confirmed on Friday.
The star-studded club and current EPL title-holders tweeted the news of their pending trip Down Under for the International Champions Cup.
City will join fellow powerhouse outfit and current UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid at the iconic Australian venue.
Serie A giant Inter Milan is expected to be the third headline club taking part in the tournament.
City, which boasts a huge stable of star players including Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Vincent Kompany already has links to Australia. In January, City Football Group acquired the majority share in a-League outfit Melbourne City (then Heart).
City CEO Ferran Soriano said: “We are looking forward, once again, to being a part of the tournament.
“We are particularly excited to be visiting Melbourne, which is home to our sister Club, Melbourne City FC.
“We know that it will also be a home away from home for Manchester City and we can’t wait to play in front of our Australian fans.”
Bart Campbell, Chairman of TLA Worldwide, added: “We are delighted to be bringing the world’s most widely followed clubs and famous brands including current Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City to Melbourne.”
The tournament will include three premium matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 18, 21 and 24, 2015 with the competition draw and match details to be released on the announcement of the third and final competing team.
The international event is expected to bring football and sporting enthusiasts from all around Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to Melbourne and will be broadcast to more than 150 countries.
Manchester United spending could reach £350m in two years, with Roma's Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman, 24, and Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, 25, among their top targets. (Times)
United boss Louis van Gaal also wants Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne, 23. (Sun)
Arsenal are ready to make an £8m bid in January for Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings, 21. (Daily Telegraph)
The Gunners are also planning a £15m bid for Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin in January in an effort to beat Premier League rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United to the 25-year-old. (Daily Express)
Inter Milan are weighing up January moves for Arsenal's Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell and Tottenham's Argentine midfielder Erik Lamela, both 22. (TalkSHIT)
The agent of Colombian striker Jackson Martinez says the 28-year-old will not be leaving Porto despite interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. (Daily Star)
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew fears Moussa Sissoko could be the next player to be lured away from St James' Park with Arsenal linked with the 25-year-old French midfielder. (DSSC)
Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain are still keen to land Chelsea forward Eden Hazard in January but the Blues are are ready to offer the 23-year-old an improved deal. (Daily Express)
Cruzeiro midfielder Luca Silva, 21, is set to snub Manchester United and Arsenal to join Real Madrid. (Daily Star)
Leicester City will try to bring in a defender and a striker in the January transfer window, with Toronto FC forward Jermain Defoe, 32, still an option. (Leicester Mercury)
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is considering "a number of options" as he seeks a new assistant following Roy Keane's exit. (Birmingham Mail)
Liverpool have sent England striker Daniel Sturridge, 25, to Los Angeles to step up rehabilitation from a thigh injury. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United strikers Wayne Rooney, 29, and Radamel Falcao, 28 have recovered from injury and will be ready for Monday's Premier League trip to Southampton. (Manchester Evening News)
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes thinks Barcelona are a ghost of their former selves because they are "bored". (Independent)
Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has warned Arsenal will be walking into a hate-filled bearpit when they meet at the Britannia Stadium this weekend. (Sun )
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, 24, will submit evidence of the discrimination he has faced to the Football Association as part of their investigation into his "Super Mario" tweet. (Guardian)
Fraser Forster, 26, believes his summer move to Southampton from Celtic has given him the platform to dislodge Manchester City's Joe Hart, 27, as first-choice England goalkeeper. (Times)
Wayne Rooney showed off his musical talent by singing at Manchester United's Christmas party on Wednesday. The England captain posted a picture on Instagram, but the world is still waiting for the Audioboom sound file.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has shown his players how to do it on the club's YouTube channel with a brilliant free-kick during training.
Coventry City have been kicked out of the home dressing room at the Ricoh Arena and relocated to the away team changing area by rugby union club and stadium owners Wasps. (Coventry Telegraph)
Burnley boss Sean Dyche believes young English academy players are too soft, saying: "I was speaking to an eight-year-old who did a hamstring. I said: 'I can't believe you know what a hamstring is, son. You go out there and get yourself running.'" (Times)
Harry Redknapp has told his QPR players to forget about organising a Christmas party and instead focus on avoiding relegation. (Guardian)
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