On July 28th, 2011, Sergio Aguero swapped Atletico Madrid for Manchester City. Things could have been very different for the Argentine, who declined a move to Liverpool in 2006.
However, in moving to the Etihad, the 32-year-old has cemented his legacy as one of the Citizens’ all-time best players and the club’s leading goalscorer. At the end of the 2020-21 season, the Argentine will leave City at the expiration of his contract.
In light of that, will he depart as the Premier League’s best-ever striker? Well, let’s consider if he has a case for that crown.
City’s All-Time Leading Premier League Goalscorer
As mentioned above, the prolific Argentine is Manchester City’s all-time leading goalscorer. After 384 appearances, Aguero had 257 goals to his name. According to Transfermarkt, the 32-year-old averages a goal every 107 minutes and at a rate of 0.67 goals per game. By comparison, the Citizens’ second-ranked scorer is Raheem Sterling, who scored 113 goals in his first 281 appearances for the Manchester-based club.
Aguero and Sterling also lead the charts regarding Premier League goals. Sterling, who has spent four fewer years than Aguero at the Etihad, has 77 top-flight goals at the time of writing. The Argentine, meanwhile, has scored 181 goals since the start of the 2011-12 campaign. With Aguero leaving City, Sterling needs to step up and take on the goalscoring responsibility from 2021-22. As of March 31st, the English winger is 100/1 in football betting to win the Golden Boot come the end of the 2020-21 season.
For all of Aguero’s goals, he’s failed to hit 30 Premier League goals in a single season. Although this isn’t the be-all and end-all, it’s certainly something to consider when discussing the division’s all-time best goalscorer. The 32-year-old’s most prolific season came back in 2014-15 when he scored 26 goals in 36 appearances. The former Atletico striker isn’t alone in failing to hit the 30-goal mark. Other highly-rated attackers, such as Didier Drogba and Ruud van Nistelrooy, also couldn’t match the sought-after tally.
Where Does the Argentine Rank Among the All-Time Greats?
In Premier League history, only nine players have scored 30 or more goals in a season. Alan Shearer has done so on three occasions, while Andy Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Kevin Phillips, Luis Suarez, Mohamed Salah, Robin van Persie, and Thierry Henry have also achieved the feat.
Compared to the above, Sergio Aguero is only behind Cole and Shearer in the all-time Premier League goalscoring charts. Wayne Rooney has also found the back of the net on more occasions, scoring 208 goals, only 52 fewer than Shearer.
Despite his achievements, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland striker Darren Bent doesn’t think Aguero is a top-five striker in Premier League history. Although he suffered injuries throughout his Citizens career, the Argentine is the fourth-most clinical forward in English top-flight history, which speaks volumes about his ability.
Aguero’s In the Conversation
Manchester City fans will claim that the Argentine is the Premier League’s best-ever striker, and it’s hard to argue that he’s not in the discussion. It’s worth noting that, unlike Cole, Rooney, and Shearer, Sergio Aguero came from a foreign league and had to adapt. The others, of course, began their careers in English football. While Aguero may not be the league’s all-time best attacker, he’s undoubtedly the greatest striking import that the Premier League has ever seen.