'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
The only strike-partnership in Europe's top 5 leagues to have scored less than Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo are the poor sods at Benevento (bottom of Serie A, 0 points from 13 games, 6 goals scored) and that just won't do.
While teacher's (er... President's?) pet and the world's BEST player (hey, I didn't say it, FIFA did) are still getting the undivided public support of Zinedine Zidane and Florentino Perez, they aren't really happy with the output being generated at the moment and are looking to do what Real Madrid always do at a time of crisis - throw some money at the nearest big club and take out (one of) their best.
If the good folk churning over the rumour mill at the Guardian are to be believed, that cash (£63 million to be precise) is going to be thrown at Manchester City in a bid to convince them to let go of club legend Sergio Aguero... so that the Argentine can back to the city that started his journey to superstardom and rescue a side in dire, dire need of goals.
In case you didn't know...
Sergio Aguero had actually come close to joining Madrid the summer he joined City but Atletico's unwillingness to do business with their friendly neighbours coupled with the Nahyan-family fuelled riches of City had meant the deal didn't ever go through.
If it had, though.... imagine a Premier League without that all famous "Aguerooooooooo" moment!
The heart of the matter
Aguero is exactly the kind of player that Madrid need right now, with his predatory instinct and cold-blooded finishing (the exact opposite of Benzema, some would say) and weirdly, City may actually be okay with this deal happening in January - if, and it's not that big of an if, they can get the price they want for the 29-year-old; and they can get disgruntled ol' Alexis Sanchez on the cheap from Arsenal.
Nothing like a diminutive South American powerhouse to assuage the feelings of losing your club's greatest player of all time, eh?
Video
Sergio Aguero has been in blindingly brilliant form this season -
Madrid could really use someone of his ilk.
Author's Take
The one thing stopping this deal from going through in January is the fact that Aguero will be cup-tied for Europe... and he may also want to end his career with another Premier League trophy (that kind of looks inevitable at the moment).
Doesn't mean a summer move couldn't be on, though.
