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Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero has revealed that Pep Guardiola once dropped him from the starting XI due to him being overweight.
Aguero, 34, established himself as a club legend during his decade-old stint at the Etihad Stadium. After arriving from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million in 2011, he helped Manchester City lift 15 trophies, including five Premier League titles. He also became the club's all-time highest goal-scorer with 260 goals in 390 appearances.
A mobile striker renowned for his lethal finishing, Aguero played under the helm of Guardiola for six seasons between 2015 and 2021, lifting 11 trophies together. However, the Argentine once failed to pass the weight test of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach.
Speaking to El Chiringuito (via Daily Mail), Aguero fondly reminisced about his time with Guardiola in the Premier League. He elaborated:
"If your ideal weight is 79-80 kilograms and you were 80 kilos and 100 grams, you would be fined and you won't be allowed to play. But it can happen! You come across a little bit of chicken, for example, then you are going to be 50 grams over!"
Aguero asserted that Guardiola left him out of the first-team to positively motivate him and added that he was respectful of him. He continued:
"Well, in the first season, we were between fourth and third and he said, 'I left you out because you turned up fat this week'. He was right, these things happen. He said it in a good way. And at that time, I didn't really have his confidence. But I was always very respectful to the coaches."
Analyzing how Guardiola improved him as a player, the former Manchester City man said:
"When I arrived, Guardiola asked me to press the centre backs a lot, and then I didn't have oxygen to attack. I wasn't used to press but Guardiola taught me the way to do it."
Aguero, who left Manchester City to join Barcelona in 2021, announced his retirement in December last year due to a severe heart condition.
Manchester City in transfer race to sign Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
According to Calciomercato, Manchester City and Liverpool are monitoring the development of Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, the Serie A outfit are not interested in offloading the pacy Georgian who they signed in the summer from Dinamo Batumi.
Kvaratskhelia, 21, has shot to prominence with his electric performances on the left flank this campaign. So far, he has registered seven goals and eight assists in 15 matches. He has helped his team sit atop both the Serie A and UEFA Champions League Group A table.
According to Transfermarkt, Kvaratskhelia is valued at £31.5 million.
