Manchester City have announced that their top striker Sergio Aguero will leave the club at the end of the season, when his contract expires.
Aguero’s deal with Premier League leaders will end at the end of the current season and City have said it is not renewing.
Aguero, now 32, joined the club under a £ 35million deal with Atletico Madrid in July 2011 and won four Premier League titles.
“Sergio’s contribution to Manchester City over the past 10 years cannot be overstated,” City President Khaldoon Al Mubarak said.
“His legend will be indelibly etched in the memory of all who love the Club and maybe even those who just love football.
“It is not yet the time for farewell words and farewell speeches. There is still a lot to do in the rest of the time we have with Sergio, and we look forward to his contribution to the challenges that lie ahead.
“In the meantime, I have the great pleasure to announce that we are going to commission an artist to create a statue of Sergio to live at the Etihad stadium alongside those under construction for Vincent and David. And we look forward to the opportunity to say goodbye to Sergio at the end of the season.
The Argentina International started his footballing career at Independiente and became the youngest player to play in Argentina’s Primera División.
He played his first match for Independiente at the age of 15 and 35, breaking the record previously set by Argentine legend Diego Maradona in 1976.
He then joined Atlético Madrid for a transfer fee of € 23million, from where he moved to Manchester City in July 2011 for a fee of around £ 35million.
The Argentina international striker became Manchester City’s all-time top scorer in November 2017 when he scored his 178 goals for the Manchester-based club against Italian side Napoli in the Champions League.
