Sergio Agüero, the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of Manchester City, has revealed that his iconic status at the club was far from guaranteed. The former striker admitted that, at the peak of his career, he was close to becoming a Chelsea player.

“In 2017, I was very close to joining Chelsea. Antonio Conte wanted me in the team alongside Eden Hazard. Diego Costa was leaving at the time,” the Argentine forward explained.

“But Manchester City cancelled the deal at the last minute,” Agüero added.

Over the final four seasons of his time at City, Agüero went on to score 91 goals for the club, cementing his place as one of the greatest players in its history.