MONEY TALKS – Sergio Agüero, bitterness and lazy journalism.

By Staff Writer
Updated: 30 July, 2011

Sergio Agüero finally departed Madrid this week as his record breaking move to Manchester City brought to a close one of the longest transfer sagas of the summer.

Roberto Mancini has reportedly paid in the region of £40 million for the talented Argentine and City fans would have been delighted to see their new signing posing for the obligatory shirt-wearing photograph inside the stadium formerly known as Eastlands.

That should have been the end of that.

But not so, it seems.

As the ink was still drying on the contract papers and the Agüero number 16 shirt was lining the rails of the City superstore, the rumour mill sprang into action once more in the Spanish capital.

A certain well-known sports daily suggested Agüero would only play in Manchester for one season before returning to La Liga and the club he really should have gone to, Real Madrid.

Why would he not? After all, Florentino Perez has been an admirer for a number of seasons and even the ‘special one’ himself has spoken highly of Diego Maradona’s son-in-law.

Los merengues wanted him and thought they would get him.

The only reason he chose to leave Spain was to avoid upsetting Atlético Madrid fans by moving directly to the cross-city rivals.

Patience is the game now for Real Madrid. Twelve months from now and Agüero will be back in Madrid, this time at the Bernabeau.

Apparantly.

Real Madrid belived Aguero would be playing for them next season.

This sort of sums up the attitude surrounding Spain’s most successful club – they expect to get every player deemed fit to don their famous white shirt.

Somebody needs to inform Señor Perez that football is changing and there are new kids on the block who might, dare I say it, appear just as appealing as Real Madrid or their eternal rivals Barcelona.

The easy cop out of course, is to claim Agüero moved solely for the money – a reported £200,000 per week.

Ir seems en vogue at the moment to trot out the tried and tested ‘money talks’ excuse whenever a top player moves to a club outside the recognised ‘elite’ clubs.

This attitude is not confined to Spain.

Some British sports writers and so-called experts are the worst offenders.

It is nothing more than lazy journalism and suggests a complete lack of understanding to the mechanics of the modern game.

There is no denying that the middle-east billions have changed the face of the game, taking the Manchester club from mid-table mediocrity to UEFA Champions League qualification and potential league champions this season, but to dismiss this change as soley based on money misses the point somewhat.

Professional footballers are highly motivated sportsmen and already paid more money in a month than some people see in a lifetime of work.

The accusation of money being the sole motivation is surely harsh and fundamentally untrue in the case of the majority of footballers.

Sergio Agüero is a case in point.

The player was courted by many clubs and it seems was offered more money by Italian giants Juventus, in an effort to get him to Serie A.

We already know Real Madrid were interested, but that was never really an option due to the players respect for the Atletí fans.

It is doubtful whether the funds were actually there to purchase the player anyway.

Chelsea were rumoured to be interested but balked at the asking price.

This left two clubs, and in essence Agüero chose Manchester City over Juventus who, as said were offering more money.

That doesn’t quite seem to fall in line with the ‘money-motivating’ scenario…

The player seems tailor-made for the Mancini’s men and will slot straight into the side (Tevez or no Tevez).

He could be an excellent strike partner for Edin Dzeko, who willl come good this season after struggling to adapt last term, but will also hold the line well himself.

Argentinian players have normally done well in English football, bar the odd exception, and Agüero has the ability to be a great success this term.

He is in the same mould as his fellow-countrymen at the club; Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta and his non-stop running and lightening pace is sure to make him a firm favourite with the fans.

Apparently pursueded to move to Manchester after chatting to Zabaleta while the two toiled through the national team’s recent dire Copa America performance, Agüero has gone on record to say the chance of bringing success to City was a major factor in his decision.

Players surely have personal drive and ambition, to be part of the side that finally brings some success to Manchester City is not something that can be dismissed easily and the ‘money talks’ excuse is insufficient.

The situation tells its own story – a player, recently described by Don Balon as the third best player on the planet, moved to an ambitious club who were willing to pay the money his club were asking for him.

The fact they are paying him £200,000 per week for his services is irrelevant.

As we have seen, Juventus offered him more and a host of other players around Spain and England are on the same money, if not more at their current employers.
Fans of the Premier League should rejoice in the chance to see one of the world’s best young talents gracing English grounds next season and sports editors should maybe push their writers a little further to expand on the motivating factors behind players who move to Manchester City.

Atlético Madrid supporters now have to cope with life after Agüero while their neighbours are left wondering what went wrong.

La Liga’s loss is the Premier League’s gain.

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