This is a special request from my fans during this quarantine edition. I wrote about the biography of Cristiano Ronaldo AKA CR7 or Mr Champions League.

A rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has made fans all over the world to have a debate who is the Greatest Of All Time or G. O. A. T.

Today I will be telling you about the story of this little man and was deemed to be the next Diego Maradona.

He has been referred as King Lionel Messi or Messiah or the King of Dribbling.

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini or Lionel Messi was born on 24th June 1987 in Rosario in Argentina the third of four children of Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini.

At the age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by his father, though his earliest influence as a player came from his maternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches.

But in 1998, Lionel Messi’s grandmother died after his eleventh birthday and this affected him dearly and up to date when Messi scores a goal, he always looks up and points to the sky in dedication to his grandmother.

A lifelong supporter of Newell’s Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years old. During the six years he played for Newell’s, he scored almost 500 goals as a member of “The Machine of ’87”, the near-unbeatable youth side named for the year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team’s home games. However, his future as a professional player was threatened when, at age 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. As his father’s health insurance covered only two years of growth hormone treatment, which cost at least $1,000 per month, Newell’s agreed to contribute, but later reneged on their promise. He was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate, whose playmaker, Pablo Aimar, he idolised, but they were also unable to pay for his treatment due to the country’s economic collapse.His goalscoring idol growing up was Ronaldo, with Messi calling him “the best forward I’ve ever seen”.

As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelonain September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such a young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin.In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club’s stadium, Camp Nou. During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantilesdue to a transfer conflict with Newell’s; as a foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team; already reserved by nature, he was so quiet that his teammates initially believed he was mute. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and little sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father.

During the 2003–04 season, his fourth with Barcelona, Messi rapidly progressed through the club’s ranks, debuting for a record five teams in a single campaign. After being named player of the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juveniles B, he played only one official match with the team before being promoted to the Juveniles A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. Messi was then one of several youth players called up to strengthen a depleted first team during the international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly explained how a teenage Leo caught the eye in a training session with Frank Rijkaard‘s first team: “He destroyed us all… They were kicking him all over the place to avoid being ridiculed by this kid, he just got up and kept on playing. He would dribble past four players and score a goal. Even the team’s starting centre-backs were nervous. He was an alien.

To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to the JuvenilesA, playing his first game for the third team on 29 November. He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten games, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla‘s Sergio Ramos.His progress was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million. A month later, on 6 March, he made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B, and his buyout clause automatically increased to €80 million.He played five games with the B team that season but did not score. Physically he was weaker than his opponents, who were often much older and taller, and in training he worked on increasing his muscle mass and overall strength in order to be able to shake off defenders. Towards the end of the season, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juveniles B win the league. He finished the campaign having scored for four of his five teams with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions.

During the 2004–05 season, Messi was a guaranteed starter for the B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions. Since his debut the previous November, he had not been called up to the first team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him.Since Ronaldinho already played on the left wing, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual position onto the right flank (though initially against the player’s wishes), allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot.Messi made his league debut during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol, coming on in the 82nd minute. At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition. As a substitute player, he played 77 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club. Barcelona, in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the first time in six years.

After two unsuccessful seasons, Barcelona were in need of an overhaul, leading to the departure of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. Upon the latter’s departure, Messi was given the number 10 shirt. He signed a new contract in July 2008 on an annual salary of €7.8 million, becoming the club’s highest-paid player.Ahead of the new season, a major concern remained his frequent muscular injuries, which had left him side-lined for a total of eight months between 2006 and 2008. To combat the problem, the club implemented new training, nutrition, and lifestyle regimens, and assigned him a personal physiotherapist, who would travel with him during call-ups for the Argentina national team. As a result, Messi remained virtually injury-free during the next four years, allowing him to reach his full potential.Despite his injuries early in the year, his performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his first season under Barcelona’s new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played mainly on the right wing, like he had under Rijkaard, though this time as a false winger with the freedom to cut inside and roam the centre. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, however, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He assisted his side’s first goal and scored twice to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team’s greatest-ever score at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.Returning to the wing, he played his first final since breaking into the first team on 13 May, scoring once and assisting a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 to win the Copa del Rey. With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days later and achieved its fifth double.

As the season’s Champions League top scorerwith nine goals, the youngest in the tournament’s history, Messi scored two goals and assisted two more to ensure a 4–0 quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich.He returned as a false nine during the final on 27 May in Rome against Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe by winning the match 2–0, the second goal coming from a Messi header over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona thus achieved the first treble in the history of Spanish football.This success was reflected in a new contract, signed on 18 September, which committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a new buyout clause of €250 million, while his salary increased to €12 million. His team’s prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, as Barcelona became the first club to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a single year.After victories in the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cupagainst Estudiantes de La Plata on 19 December, with Messi scoring the winning 2–1 goal with his chest.At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times by the greatest voting margin in each trophy’s history.Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards,^{[note 2]} and a record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. A prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (438), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga(36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (181) and the Copa América (12). He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.

Messi secured Barcelona’s first trophy of the 2010–11 campaign, the Supercopa de España, by scoring a hat-trick in his side’s second-leg 4–0 victory over Sevilla, after a first-leg defeat.Assuming a playmaking role, he was again instrumental in a Clásico on 29 November 2010, the first with José Mourinho in charge of Real Madrid, as Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0.Messi helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league victories, a record in Spanish football, concluding with another hat-trick against Atlético Madrid on 5 February 2011.His club performances in 2010 earned him the inaugural FIFA Ballon d’Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, though his win was met with some criticism due to his lack of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.Under the award’s old format, he would have placed just outside the top three, owing his win to the votes from the international coaches and captains.

Towards the end of the season, Barcelona played four Clásicos in the span of 18 days. A league match on 16 April ended in a draw after a penalty from Messi. After Barcelona lost the Copa del Rey final four days later, Messi scored both goals in his side’s 2–0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in Madrid, the second of which – a slaloming dribble past three Real players – was acclaimed as one of the best ever in the competition.^[105] Although he did not score, he was again important in the second-leg draw that sent Barcelona through to the Champions League final,^[106][107] where they faced Manchester United in a repeat of the final two years earlier. As the competition’s top scorer for the third consecutive year, with 12 goals, Messi gave a man-of-the-match performance at Wembley on 28 May, scoring the match-winning goal of Barça’s 3–1 victory.^[108][109]Barcelona won a third consecutive La Liga title. In addition to his 31 goals, Messi was also the league’s top assist provider with 18.He finished the season with 53 goals and 24 assists in all competitions, becoming Barcelona’s all-time single-season top scorer and the first player in Spanish football to reach the 50-goal benchmark.

Under new manager and former captain Luis Enrique, Messi experienced a largely injury-free start to the 2014–15 season, allowing him to break three more longstanding records towards the end of the year. A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November made him the all-time top scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra.^[165] A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, allowed him to surpass César Rodríguez as the all-time top scorer in the Derbi barceloní with 12 goals. Messi again placed second in the FIFA Ballon d’Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup.

In the Champions League, Messi scored twice and assisted on another in their 3–0 semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, now under the stewardship of Guardiola. His second goal, which came only three minutes after his first, saw him chip the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his dribble past Jérôme Boateng had made the defender drop to the ground; it went viral, becoming the year’s most tweeted about sporting moment, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA.Despite a second-leg loss, Barcelona progressed to the final on 6 June in Berlin, where they defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second treble, becoming the first team in history to do so.Although Messi did not score, he participated in each of his side’s goals, particularly the second as he forced a parried save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from which Suárez scored the match-winning goal on the rebound.In addition to being the top assist provider with six assists, Messi finished the competition as the joint top scorer with ten goals, which earned him the distinction of being the first player ever to achieve the top scoring mark in five Champions League seasons. For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for a second time.

On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for a record fifth time in his career.On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 7–0 win against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou.In a 6–1 home win against Celta de Vigo in the league, Messi assisted Suárez from a penalty kick. Some saw it as “a touch of genius”, while others criticised it as being disrespectful to the opponent. The Celta players never complained and their coach defended the penalty, stating, “Barca’s forwards are very respectful.” The penalty routine has been compared to that of Barça icon Johan Cruyff in 1982, who was battling lung cancer, leading many fans to indicate that the penalty was a tribute to him. Cruyff himself was “very happy” with the play, insisting “it was legal and entertaining”.

Messi opened the 2016–17 season by lifting the 2016 Supercopa de España as Barcelona’s captain in the absence of the injured Andrés Iniesta;he set-up Munir‘s goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on 14 August,and subsequently scored and assisted in a 3–0 win in the return leg on 17 August.Three days later, he scored two goals and provided an assist to lead Barcelona to a 6–2 victory against Real Betis in the opening game of the 2016–17 La Ligaseason. On 13 September 2016, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign against Celticin a 7–0 victory; this was also Messi’s sixth hat-trick in the Champions League, the most by any player. A week later, Messi sustained a groin injury in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid and was ruled out with injury for three weeks.He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4–0 home win over Deportivo de La Coruña, on 16 October. Three days after this, he netted his thirty-seventh club hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City4–0.On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona’s 3–1 away loss to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl.

On 4 February 2017, Messi scored his 27th free-kick for Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the club’s all-time top-scorer from free-kicks.

On 23 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–2 away win over Real Madrid. His game-winning goal in stoppage time was his 500th for Barcelona. His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing the crowd.

Even commentators went wild when he scored the winning goal, like Rob Palmer said, “Lionel Messi does it again he’s super human, and then the chapter of this little man’s career.”Ray Hudson also said,”You can put a tarantula spider in Messi’s short and he will still be cool.”

Messi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona’s 1–3 first leg home defeat to Real Madrid in Supercopa de España.^[221] Thereby, Messi also extended his El Clásico goalscoring record with the goal being his 24th official and 25th overall. On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trickof the 2017–18 league campaign, against Espanyol in derbi barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 home victory for Blaugrana over local rivals. Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, as Barçadefeated the last season’s Italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League. On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 trashing of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga.Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third highest appearance maker in the club’s history, as he helped Barçadefeat Las Palmas 3–0 by assisting Sergio Busquets‘ opener and later adding two himself in his 594th official game for the club; the league game was played behind closed doors at the Camp Nou due to violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum.

On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiakos.Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this century milestone, but accomplished it in 21 fewer appearances than the Portuguese counterpart. On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga.Following the reception of his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout clause was set at €700 million.On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller’s record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe’s top five divisions.A week later, he broke the record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a free kick in a 4–2 away win against Real Sociedad.

With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team’s new captain for the following season. On 12 August 2018, he lifted his first title as Barcelona’s captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. On 19 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona defeat Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match of the season, with his first goal, a free kick that he rolled under the jumping Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona’s 6000th goal in La Liga.On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona’s opening Champions Leaguegroup stage match of the season, setting a new record for most hat-tricks in the competition, with eight.On 20 October, Messi scored and assisted in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but was later forced off in the 26th minute after falling awkwardly and injuring his right arm; tests later confirmed that he had fractured his radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks. On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals from set pieces during the calendar year – in a 4–0 away win over Catalan Derby rivals Espanyol in La Liga; this was the first time ever that he had managed such a feat in the league. His first goal was also his 10th league goal of the season, making him the first player ever to reach double figures in La Liga for 13 consecutive seasons.

On 13 January 2019, Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in his 435th league appearance in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the first player ever to manage this tally in just one of Europe’s top five leagues.On 2 February, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Valencia, with his first goal coming from the penalty spot, his 50th La Liga penalty goal; as such, he became only the third player in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to score 50 penalties in the competition.Later that month, the club admitted they had begun preparations for Messi’s future retirement.On 23 February, Messi scored the 50th hat-trick of his career and also provided an assist for Suárez, as he helped Barcelona come from behind to achieve a 4–2 away victory over Sevilla in La Liga; the goal was also his 650th career goal for club and country at senior level.On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to give Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate win, which saw Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2015; these were also his first goals in the Champions League quarter-finals since 2013.

On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals; his second goal of the match, a 35-yard free kick, was the 600th senior club goal of his career, all of which had been scored with Barcelona.

On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men’s Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September.

Messi made his first appearance of the season on 17 September, and on 6 October he scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 home win over Sevilla; this was his 420th goal in La Liga, which saw him break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 419 goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues.On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons (excluding qualifying rounds). He also equalled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo’s shared record of the most sides scored against in the competition (33). On 29 October, Messi scored and assisted twice in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; his first goal – a set piece from 35 yards – was the 50th free-kick of his career. His goals (608) also saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo’s senior goal tally (606) at club level.On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win against Celta Vigo. This was his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s Spanish top-flight record. On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund was the 34th team he had scored against in the competition, breaking the previous record of 33 held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl.On 2 December, Messi was awarded a record-breaking sixth Ballon d’Or.^[272] On 8 December, Messi scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona’s 5–2 home win over Mallorca.^[273] On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga.

Since 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonella Roccuzzo, a fellow native of Rosario. He has known Roccuzzo since he was five years old, as she is the cousin of his best friend since childhood, Lucas Scaglia, who is also a football player. After keeping their relationship private for a year, Messi first confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2009, before going public a month later during a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona–Espanyol derby.

Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons: Thiago (born 2012), Mateo (born 2015) and Ciro (born 2018). To celebrate his partner’s first pregnancy, Messi placed the ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina’s 4–0 win against Ecuador on 2 June 2012, before confirming the pregnancy in an interview two weeks later.Thiago was born in Barcelona on 2 November 2012, with Messi attending the birth after being given permission by Barcelona to miss training. He announced his son’s arrival on his Facebook page, writing, “Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift!”Thiago’s name and handprints are tattooed on his left calf.In April 2015, Messi confirmed on Facebook that they were expecting another child.^[He missed training ahead of a match against Atlético Madrid to attend the birth of his second son, Mateo, on 11 September 2015 in Barcelona. On 30 June 2017, he married Roccuzzo at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario with about 260 guests attending his wedding. On 15 October 2017, his wife announced they were expecting their third child in an Instagram post, with the words “Family of 5”.On 10 March 2018, Messi skipped the match against Málaga after Ciro was born.

Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards, and a record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. A prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (438), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga(36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (181) and the Copa América (12). He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.

The EPL is back after the 2018/2019 came to a close on May.

Various matches are expected this weekend with Liverpool facing Norwich at Anfield tonight. Super Sunday Manchester United will face their fiercest rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Here are the fixtures of the EPL 2019/2020 season:

Liverpool Vs Norwich

Manchester City Vs West Ham

Leicester City Vs Wolverhampton

Manchester United Vs Chelsea

Arsenal Vs Newcastle

Everton vs Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur Vs Aston Villa

Harry Kane is arguably the best striker in the EPL and in the world right now.

The English striker broke his August duck curse of not scoring in the month of August when the EPL starts on the same month and when it comes to an end.

But on September, October, November until May he always finds the back of the net.

Last season, the Spurs all the time goal scorer found the net against Fulham after breaking the curse after four seasons trying to score in the month of August.

Now the Premier League is back and it will be easy for the English target man to score against Aston Villa at home as Tottenham Hotspur starts their campaign to challenge for the premier league.

Spurs will be without Dele Alli who suffered an ankle injury.

The EPL is back after the 2018/2019 came to a close on May.

The 2019/2020 season will be more entertaining and exciting, after big teams went to the transfer market to spend their money during the summer window fans around the world expect their teams to perform at their best.

Various matches are expected this weekend with Liverpool facing Norwich at Anfield tonight. Super Sunday Manchester United will face their fiercest rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Here are the fixtures of the EPL 2019/2020 season:

Liverpool Vs Norwich

Tottenham Hotspur Vs Aston Villa

Arsenal Vs Newcastle

Leicester City Vs Wolverhampton

Manchester United Vs Chelsea

Manchester City Vs West Ham

Manchester City recently won all the domestic trophies like the Premier League, The FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

The Premier League Champions defeated the European Champions Liverpool on post match penalties after a barren draw 1-1.

Raheem Sterling put the Citizens ahead and Joel Matip equalised for The Reds.

This was the 97th Community Shield match to played in Wembley Stadium.

Manchester United have officially signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City worth 80 € Million pounds.

Harry Maguire becomes the most expensive defender in Europe and England most expensive defender.

Virgil Van Dijk was the most expensive last season after moving from Southampton worth €75 million.

Maguire becomes Manchester United’s third summer signing after Aaron Wan Bissaka, Daniel James and Man United are also linked to sign Sporting Lisbon Captain Bruno Fernandes also linked to Tottenham.

Maguire will wear the number five jersey which was worn by England defender Rio Ferdinand. The England defender penned down a six year contract and an option for extension.

Jacob Harry Maguire (born 5 March 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the English national team.

Born in Sheffield, he came through the youth system at Sheffield United before graduating to the first team in 2011. He totalled 166 professional games for the Blades and was their Player of the Year three consecutive times, also featuring in the PFA Team of the Year for League One as many times. In 2014, he transferred to Hull City for £2.5 million, who loaned him to Wigan Athletic in 2015. He joined Leicester City in 2017 for an initial fee of £12 million. Two years later, he moved to Manchester United for £80 million, a world-record fee for a defender.

Maguire played one match for England under-21 in 2012. In October 2017, he made his senior debut, and he was chosen for the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.

Maguire was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.^[4] After coming through the youth system at Sheffield United, and with the team struggling against relegation, he was promoted to the first-team squad, making his debut after coming on as a half-time substitute and winning the man of the match award in a home match against Cardiff City in April 2011.^[5] He made four further appearances that season but could not prevent the club from being relegated to League One.^[6][7]

Having cemented his place in the first team Maguire scored his first goal for the Blades in a 2–0 win at Oldham Athletic on the opening day of the 2011–12 League One season.^[8]Having been ever present from the start of the season Maguire was handed an extended deal in October to keep him at Bramall Laneuntil 2015.^[9] He continued in great form as the Blades pushed for promotion from League One and was rewarded at the end of the season when he was named as both “Player of the Year” and “Young Player of the Year” by the club.^[10] The BBC’s Match of the Day magazine selected Maguire in its League One Team of The Year for 2011–12.^[10]

Maguire went into the following season as first choice in the centre of defence and his good form continued as he scored a brace in a Football League Trophy tie in a 4–1 victory over Notts County at Meadow Lane on 17 October 2012.^[11] By the end of February 2013 Maguire had made his 100th start for the Blades in a 0–0 draw against Leyton Orient at Bramall Lane at the age of just 19.^[12]

On 21 June 2014, it was revealed that United had offered Maguire an improved contract amid interest from Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in signing Maguire with United already rejecting a £1 million and an improved £1.5 million bid from Wolves.^[13]

Hull City

Maguire following Hull City‘s victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the 2016 Championship play-off Final

On 29 July 2014, Maguire joined Hull City in a deal worth £2.5 million, signing a three-year contract.^[14] He made his debut for the Tigers on 21 August in the UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg away to Lokeren of Belgium, a 1–0 defeat.^[15] He did not make his Premier League debut until 20 December, when he replaced the injured Curtis Davies for the final 13 minutes of a home loss by the same score against Swansea City.^[16]

After making only six appearances across all competitions at Hull, Maguire joined Wigan Athletic of the Championship on a one-month loan deal on 10 February 2015.^[17] A week later, he debuted in a 1–0 win at Reading.^[18]On 28 February, he scored a header from Jermaine Pennant‘s cross in a 3–1 win away to Blackpool.^[19] Having played as many games in his month-long loan as he had for Hull in the first half of the season, Maguire’s stay at the DW Stadium was extended until the end of the season.^[20]

While Maguire was out on loan, Hull had been relegated to the Championship. On 28 May 2016, they won promotion back with a 1–0 play-off final win over Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley Stadium, with him replacing goalscorer Mohamed Diamé in the final minute.^[21]

In 2016–17, manager Mike Phelan made Maguire into a first-team regular.^[22] Maguire scored his first goal for Hull in a 2–1 EFL Cupwin against Bristol City on 25 October 2016.^[23] Maguire captained Hull City in their league victory against Middlesbrough on 5 April 2017 and scored his first Premier League goal in the 4–2 win.^[24] In a season that ended with relegation, he was voted Hull’s Player of the Year by both the fans and the players.^[25]

Leicester City

On 15 June 2017, Maguire signed for Premier League club Leicester City on a five-year contract for an initial £12 million fee, potentially rising to £17 million with add-ons.^[26] He made his debut on 11 August as the season began with a 4–3 loss at Arsenal,^[27] and eight days later he scored his first goal for the Foxes, heading in Riyad Mahrez‘s corner to conclude a 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the King Power Stadium.^[28] He played in every minute of the 2017–18 season and was awarded player of the season, as well as players’ player of the season at the club’s end of season awards.^[29]

Amid speculation about a transfer to Manchester United for a potential world record fee for a defender, Maguire’s Leicester manager Claude Puel confirmed on transfer deadline day of 9 August 2018 that Maguire would stay at the club, his only travel to Manchester being to face United with the Leicester squad in the fixture the evening after.^[30]

Manchester United

In July 2019, Manchester United made a £70 million bid for Maguire, a year after the club backed down from a deal because the same fee was considered too high.^[31] They made an improved bid, believed to be £80 million, which was accepted by Leicester on 2 August. The fee surpasses the £75 million Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, making Maguire the world’s most expensive defender.^[32] The transfer was completed on 5 August, with Maguire signing a six-year contract with the option for a further year.^[33]

Manchester City eight years ago signed Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid.

Sergio Leonel Agüero (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo le.oˈnel aˈɣweɾo]; born 2 June 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Argentine national team.

Agüero began his career at Independiente. On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División on his debut at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976. In 2006, he moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid, for a transfer fee of €23 million and made a name for himself, attracting attention from Europe’s top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances while winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010.

Agüero moved to Premier League club Manchester City in July 2011 for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £35 million. On the last day of his debut season with the club, he scored a 94th-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers that earned City its first league title in 44 years. At the end of the 2015–16 season, of players who had played at least two seasons in the Premier League, Agüero had the highest goals per minute ratio in the history of the competition since its formation in 1992, averaging a goal every 106 minutes, ahead of Thierry Henry.^[5] He also holds the joint-record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League match – five – and the fastest to do so, in 23 minutes and 34 seconds of match time.^[6] In November 2017, Agüero became Manchester City’s all-time highest goal-scorer, scoring his 178th City goal against Napoli.^[7]Agüero is currently the 6th highest goalscorer in Premier League history, and the highest non-European scorer in the history of the Premier League, with 164 goals in the division.

At the international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005 and in 2007, winning both tournaments.^[8] He played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, scoring two goals in the 3–0 semi-final win against Brazil as Argentina went on to win the gold medal.^[9] Agüero was selected to represent the senior team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2011 Copa América, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 Copa América, and the Copa América Centenario, reaching the finals of the latter three tournaments. He also participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he scored his first and second World Cup goals for Argentina, and the 2019 Copa América, where he won a bronze medal.

He wears “Kun” on his shirt, a childhood nickname based on the title character from the cartoon Kum-Kum.^[10]

Atlético Madrid

• UEFA Europa League: 2009–10^[267]
• UEFA Super Cup: 2010^[268]
• Copa del Rey runner-up: 2009–10^[269]

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19^[270]
• FA Cup: 2018–19;^[271] runner-up: 2012–13^[272]
• Football League/EFL Cup: 2013–14,^[129]2015–16,^[273] 2017–18,^[184] 2018–19^[274]
• FA Community Shield: 2012,^[84] 2018^[185]

Argentina U20^[248]

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005, 2007

Argentina U23^[248]

• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014^[275]
• Copa América runner-up: 2015,^[276]2016^{[citation needed]}

Individual

• South American Team of the Year: 2005^[277]
• FIFA Young Player of the Year: 2007^[278]
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Shoe: 2007^[279]
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2007^[279]
• La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 2008^{[citation needed]}
• Don Balón Award: 2007–08^{[citation needed]}
• Tuttosport Golden Boy: 2007^[280][281]
• World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2009^[282]
• Manchester City Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2014–15^[283]
• Manchester City Goal of the Season: 2011–12^{[citation needed]}
• Premier League Player of the Month: October 2013, November 2014, January 2016, April 2016, January 2018, February 2019^[270]
• PFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 Premier League,^[284] 2018–19 Premier League^[285]
• FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2013,^[286]2015,^[287] 2016^[288]
• FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2014^[289]
• Football Supporters’ Federation Player of the Year: 2014^[290]
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2014–15^[270

Sergio Agüero joined the youth system of Independiente at the age of nine. He started playing for the side, becoming the youngest player to debut in the first division at 15 years and 35 days (on 5 July 2003 against Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro), when Independiente’s coach, Oscar Ruggeri sent Agüero onto the field as a substitute for Emanuel Rivas in the 69th minute of the match.^[8][11] His performance was well received by the press.^[12][13][14] Despite his early debut, he was not selected again by Ruggeri, and his replacement Osvaldo Sosa, for the remainder of 2002–03 season, having made only one appearance in the Torneo Clausura. Following the arrival of coach Jose Omar Pastoriza, seven months after Agüero’s first match he returned to the club’s first-team in 4–2 win against Peru’s Cienciano during the group stages of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. This meant that he also became the youngest player to participate in the Copa Libertadores, a record that he held for three years.^[15] One month later, Agüero again featured in a Copa Libertadores fixture against Ecuador’s El Nacional. On 19 June, for the first time, Agüero played a full 90-minute match for Independiente against Atlético de Rafaeladuring the Torneo Clausura.^[16] He scored his first goal for Independiente in a 2–2 draw against Estudiantes on 26 November, with a 22nd minute shot from outside the penalty area.^[17][18] Agüero became a regular in the club’s first-team, being selected for the Argentina U-20 squad for the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which Argentina won.

During the 2005–06 season, Agüero scored 18 goals in 36 league appearances, having missed two games due to suspension. In a 4–0 win against Racing on 11 September, he dribbled from inside of his own half and scored Independiente’s fourth goal with a left footed shot.^[18][19] His first red card came in the Torneo Apertura, after slapping an opponent in a match against Tiro Federal.^[20]His outstanding performances during the Torneo Apertura attracted interest from a number of large European clubs, and, after months of speculation, Agüero announced on TV in April that he intended to leave the club at the end of the season. Before the end of the season, there had already been speculation of a possible transfer to Atlético Madrid.^[18] With his performances being lauded by the press, there was talk of a possible call up for Agüero for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^[21][22][23] In a 2–0 away victory against Olimpo de Bahia Blanca in round 17 of the Torneo Clausura, Agüero received his fifth yellow card of the season. This prevented him from playing his last game for Independiente in a fixture against Boca Juniors in Avellanedaone week later. The yellow card brought tears to his eyes, as television cameras recorded.^[24]Agüero, who scored Independiente’s second goal of the match later said “I think that it was my last goal for Independiente”. He played his last game for Independiente, two weeks later, in a 2–0 away defeat to Rosario Central.^[25] On 30 May, Agüero officially transferred to Atlético Madrid for €20 million, marking a record for the club.^[26]

Atlético MadridEdit

2006–07 seasonEdit

Agüero playing for Atlético Madrid in October 2007.

In May 2006, Agüero joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a fee reported to be around €20 million, breaking the club’s previous transfer record.^[27][28] He caused controversy early in his Atlético career by using his hands to score the winning goal against Recreativo de Huelva on 14 October 2006, only his second goal for the club, with the first coming in a 4–1 away win against Athletic Bilbao on 17 September.^[29] He ended his first season in Madrid with seven goals in all competitions, eased into European football by manager Javier Aguirre, who opted to bring him in and out of the line-up as Atlético finished seventh, enough to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

2007–08 seasonEdit

Following the departure of strike partner Fernando Torres to Liverpool in the summer of 2007, Agüero secured his starting spot for the Rojiblancos and soon became arguably the team’s most important player at the age of just 19. In the 2007–08 season, he finished third highest scorer in La Liga, behind Daniel Güiza and Luís Fabiano, with 19 goals, and was runner up in the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfanoaward.^[30] Agüero won many plaudits for his man of the match display against Barcelonain March 2008, scoring twice, assisting a goal and winning a penalty for Atlético in a 4–2 win.^[31][32] He also scored important goals against the likes of Real Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal to help Atlético finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over ten years.^[33]

2008–09 seasonEdit

Agüero was once again a regular goalscorer for Atlético in the 2008–09 season, continuing to establish a lethal partnership with Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán, also a former Independiente player. On 16 September, he scored his first Champions League goals in a 3–0 away win at PSV, helping Atlético eventually reach the last 16 of the competition.^[34] In March 2009, the duo of Forlán and Agüero scored a brace each in a 4–3 win over league leaders Barcelona, the latter scoring the winning goal in the final minutes of the match.^[35] With the help of more vital goals in a formidable end of the season run-in from his team, Agüero finished in the top ten contenders for the Pichichi Trophy, which was won by his teammate Forlán.^[36] Atlético finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the following season’s Champions League.

2009–10 seasonEdit

Despite not being as prolific in front of goal, Agüero had another good season in 2009–10, and was praised for his influential performances as Atlético enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade.^[37] On 3 November 2009, he scored twice against Chelsea during a 2–2 draw in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético were knocked out of the competition, but went on to reach the final of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, where Agüero assisted both goals in a 2–1 extra time win against English club Fulham.^[38] He also helped Atlético reach the final of the Copa del Rey, although this time they were not victorious, losing to Sevilla in the Camp Nou on 19 May.^[39]

On 27 August 2010, Atlético Madrid captured the UEFA Super Cup by beating favorites Internazionale 2–0. Agüero provided the assist for José Antonio Reyes‘ opening goal and then secured the win by scoring the second.^[40] On 4 January 2011, Atlético Madrid confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Vicente Calderón until 2014.^[41] The following day, he was named as the new vice-captain of Atlético, along with strike partner Diego Forlán.^[42]

2010–11 seasonEdit

Agüero with Atlético Madrid during the 2010–11 season.

The 2010–11 season was arguably Agüero’s most successful for Atlético, as he scored 20 league goals for the first time in his career. Between March and May 2011, he went on a run of seven consecutive goalscoring appearances, a feat that no other player in Europe could match during the season.^[43]Agüero’s final outing for Atlético came on 21 May against Mallorca, a game in which he reached two milestones. In a 4–3 win, he scored his first career hat-trick, the second goal being his 100th for the Colchoneros.^[44]Failure to celebrate any of the goals, however, led to speculation that he would be on his way out of the club.

On 23 May 2011, Agüero announced on his official website that he wanted to move from Atlético and formally asked to be released from his contract.^[45][46] Agüero later spoke to ESPN, where he stated that he would “not be returning to Atlético”.^[47] On the same day that Agüero officially became a Manchester Cityplayer, Atlético hosted a 2011–12 Europa League qualifier against Strømsgodset IF, where a group of Atlético fans brandished “Agüero, We Hope You Die” banners in a reaction to the striker’s transfer to City at the Vicente Calderón on 28 July 2011, after he had previously stated his desire to see out his contract with the club just weeks before requesting a transfer.^[48] Upon his departure, Atlético used the money from Agüero’s sale to buy Radamel Falcao as his replacement.^[49]

Manchester CityEdit

2011–12 seasonEdit

On 28 July 2011, Manchester City confirmed that Agüero had signed a five-year contract with the club. The fee was reported to be in the region of £35 million.^[50][51][52] He was given the number 16 shirt for his first season at City and wears the shirt name Kun Agüero. He was an unused substitute in the Dublin Super Cup match against Internazionale and the 2011 FA Community Shield against Manchester United with manager Roberto Mancini believing Agüero was not yet fit.^[53]Agüero made his debut for City on 15 August 2011 in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Swansea City. Agüero came on as a substitute in the 59th minute, scoring his first goal for the club within nine minutes after a tap-in from a cross from full back Micah Richards. He then turned provider with an assist after chipping over the oncoming goalkeeper before flicking the ball back into the penalty box and into the path of David Silva to score. Agüero rounded off his debut by scoring again in injury time with a 30-yard strike. His 30-minute debut gained rave reviews among football journalists, with some suggesting it was one of the best in English football.^[54][55]

City continued their strong start, winning 3–2 away at Bolton Wanderers with Agüero missing two chances in the penalty box.^[56] On 28 August, Agüero scored his third league goal in Manchester City’s 5–1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur.^[57] On his third start for the club, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick, against Wigan Athletic.^[58] On 18 September, he scored twice at Craven Cottageagainst Fulham, but City were held to a 2–2 draw.^[59] Having been substituted after just 28 minutes due to an injury during a 4–0 win against Blackburn Rovers on 1 October, Agüero returned to action in a 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture, where he came on for Nigel de Jong on 62 minutes and scored a 93rd-minute winner in his side’s 2–1 victory against Villarreal on 18 October.^[60][61] On 23 October, Agüero took part in his first Manchester derby, scoring in the 69th minute as he converted a Micah Richards pass across the face of goal. The match finished 6–1 to City.^[62] On 1 November, Agüero was shortlisted for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or. On 19 November, he scored a penalty in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United, ending Newcastle’s unbeaten start to the season.^[63]

Agüero (right) and Samir Nasri parade the Premier League trophy, May 2012.

Agüero made his League Cup debut in the quarter final match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, scoring the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute from an Adam Johnson through-ball.^[64] His next goal came in a 5–1 home win against Norwich City, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, giving him his 13th goal of the season and maintaining the team’s 100% league record at home.^[65] On 21 December, he scored a brace as City beat Stoke City 3–0 at home.^[66] On 3 January 2012, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 win at home to Liverpool, beating Pepe Reinawith a low shot.^[67] Agüero scored his 15th goal on 4 February, scoring a penalty against Fulham in a 3–0 win at a snow-covered City of Manchester Stadium.

During the first-leg of a Europa League round of 32 match against Porto, Agüero entered the field in the 78th minute for Mario Balotelli and scored the match-winning goal, and his first Europa League goal for Manchester City, in the 85th minute.^[68] The game ended 2–1, and, in the second-leg, Agüero scored within 19 seconds in a 4–0 win on 22 February. Manchester City advanced to the last 16 of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, having won 6–1 on aggregate. On 25 February, Agüero scored his 16th league goal in a 3–0 win against Blackburn.^[69][70] During the second-leg of Manchester City’s Round of 16 Europa League fixture against Sporting CP on 15 March, Agüero netted a double to help City claim a 3–2 win, having been trailing 2–0 at half-time, to level the scores at 3–3 on aggregate. Sporting CP won on away goals, as they defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the first-leg on 8 March.^[71] One week later, Agüero scored his 17th league goal in 2–1 win against Chelsea on 21 March.^[72] On 29 March, Agüero was ruled out for 10 days to two weeks due to a foot problem, which was later diagnosed as a reaction to a substance that blistered his foot.^[73][74][75]

On 11 April, Agüero scored two goals for himself and also set up another two goals (for David Silva and Carlos Tevez) in a 4–0 home victory against West Bromwich Albion.^[76] On 14 April, Agüero scored a double in a 6–1 away win against Norwich City, his two goals meaning that he had surpassed 20 league goals in the Premier League.^[77] He scored one goal in the next match, in which Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0.^[78] On 4 May, Agüero was named Manchester City Player of The Year. His first goal in the 6–1 away win against Norwich also won him the club’s Goal of the Season award.^[79]

Final game of the seasonEdit

“In my career so far it’s the most important goal. You score the goal in the last minute to win the title. You’re not sure if that’s ever going to happen in your career again. I wish I could tell you how I did it but I can’t. I thought for all the world that Mario [Balotelli] was going to have a go himself but he just moved it on one more and it fell at my feet and I just thought: ‘Hit the target, hit it as hard as you can and hit the target.’ And it went in.”

Sergio Agüero, on his last-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 which won the Premier League for City.^[80]

Five straight wins helped City wipe out the eight-point deficit against United, and they went into the final day’s fixtures leading on goal difference. Facing relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers, City needed to match or better United’s result at Sunderland. By the 66th minute, QPR’s Joey Barton was sent off after elbowing Agüero’s teammate, Carlos Tevez in the face. Eventually after being shown the red card, Barton proceeded to kick Agüero’s knee, then attempted to attack Vincent Kompany, only for him to be held back by Micah Richards. Despite that, QPR still went ahead 2–1 against City, while United were 1–0 up against Sunderland. In response, manager Roberto Mancini sent on strikers Edin Džeko and Mario Balotelli in an attempt to get the two goals City now needed for the title. Five minutes of injury time began for City with their and United’s match scores still constant. Džeko equalised for City for a glimmer of hope, but United soon finished their own game with a victory. In the 94th minute, Agüero, receiving the ball from Balotelli, drove into the penalty area and placed a powerful low shot into the corner of the goal, clinching the win and the title for Manchester City.^[81] Agüero’s goal sent the City of Manchester Stadium into a frenzy and he was dragged to the floor jubilantly by his City teammates. Vincent Kompany recalled that Agüero was crying on the floor,^[82] and when asked if he cried during the Manchester City parade the following day, Agüero stated: “Yeah, a little”.^[83]

2012–13 seasonEdit

Agüero started the 2012–13 season in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Chelsea at Villa Park as Manchester City won 3–2.^[84] In Manchester City’s first league match, Agüero had to be stretchered off in the 13th minute of their home game against Southampton due to a knee injury.^[85] Agüero was an unused substitute in City’s 3–2 defeat to Real Madrid on 18 September 2012. Following the match, Agüero said he would have joined Real Madrid had they made an offer for him in 2011 but was left with “no option but to join City”.^[86]Agüero made his return in a 1–1 home draw against Arsenal in the Premier League and went on to score his first goal of the season against Fulham on 29 September in a 2–1 away win in the Premier League.^[87][88] He followed this up with another goal the following weekend against Sunderland in a 3–0 home win.^[89] His next league goal came in a 2–1 win at home against Tottenham on 11 November.^[90] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Aston Villa in a 5–0 win at home.^[91]Agüero also scored in back-to-back games in the Champions League in successive draws at home to Ajax and Real Madrid.^[92][93] He scored his next goal on 15 December, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 3–1 away against Newcastle.^[94]Agüero then scored against Norwich City on 29 December in a 4–3 away win.^[95] In his next match on 2 January, after scoring a penalty in the 73rd minute, Agüero damaged his hamstring during a 3–0 victory over Stoke.^[96]

Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 19 January after coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory against Fulham.^[97] On 3 February, Agüero scored the equaliser after beating Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in a race to the ball out near the right corner flag.^[98] On 17 February, Agüero helped Manchester City to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as he scored twice in a 4–0 win at home to Leeds United.^[99] He sustained a knee injury in the 2–0 win over Chelsea on 24 February.^[100] This eventually led to him missing the Argentina squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Venezuela and Bolivia.^[101] Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 30 March after coming on as a substitute with warm reception in a 4–0 victory against Newcastle.^[102]

On 8 April, Agüero scored a solo goal to give City the win in the Manchester derby in the 78th minute, seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Samir Nasri.^[103] Agüero then scored a header to help Manchester City defeat Chelsea on 14 April in the FA Cup semi-final and reach the final.^[104] In the 82nd-minute of the tie, Agüero made a two-footed tackle on David Luiz after the defender had previously appeared to tackle him.^[105] Despite the incident warranting a red card at the time, the FA announced Agüero would not be punished following confirmation that referee Chris Foy had at least seen part of the incident and acted on it during the match. Many people disagreed with this decision and felt that the FA had failed to act.^[106] On 17 April, Agüero revealed that he had apologised to David Luiz for his rash challenge on the defender.^[107] Agüero withdrew as a precaution at half-time on 17 April in Manchester City’s 1–0 home victory over Wigan after feeling tightness in a hamstring, but he appeared as an unused substitute in City’s 3–1 away loss at White Hart Laneagainst Tottenham on 21 April.^[108] He scored his next goal on 27 April, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 2–1 home against West Ham United.^[109] On 11 May, Agüero started for Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final, where the team lost 1–0 to Wigan. Agüero scored his final goal of the season in a 2–0 away win against Reading on 14 May.^[110]

The Times reported that he was the main transfer target of Spanish giants Real Madrid,^[111] but Agüero responded by saying, “I’m very happy at City and I feel appreciated and loved here which means a lot to me.”^[112]Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano also negated the idea of a transfer, insisting Agüero would stay at the City of Manchester Stadium.^[113][114] However, former Argentina international Diego Maradonabacked him to join Real Madrid, believing Agüero’s presence in the Madrid team could help get even more out of Cristiano Ronaldo.^[115] On 25 May 2013, Agüero signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at Manchester City until 2017.^[116][117]Agüero stated his commitment to Manchester City on 28 May 2013, saying, “I’m committed to Manchester City, it’s a great club.”^[118]

2013–14 seasonEdit

Agüero and Edin Džeko about to kick-off against Cardiff City in August 2013

Following a knee injury that ruled him out of all of the club’s pre-season games,^[119] Agüero scored in City’s 4–0 victory over Newcastle United in the opening game of the 2013–14 Premier League season.^[120] On 22 September 2013, he scored a brace in a 4–1 home win against Manchester United.^[121]

On 8 November 2013, after scoring five goals in four matches between 5 October and 2 November, Agüero was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for the first time. During the same period, he had also scored both goals for City in a 2–1 away win against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.^[122]

On 24 November, after scoring his ninth and tenth goals of the league season in a 6–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, Agüero overtook Thierry Henry as the player with the highest goals-per-minute ratio in Premier League history.^[123] He also scored six goals in five matches in the Champions League group stage as Manchester City qualified for the knockout phase for the first time.

On 14 December 2013, Agüero was substituted in a 6–3 win against Arsenal due to a calf injury^[124] and missed eight matches.^[125] On 16 January 2014, he returned from injury in an FA Cup third-round replay against Blackburn Rovers, scoring after coming on as a substitute in the 5–0 win.^[126]In the next round of the competition, he scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 victory over Watford. On 29 January, he scored his 50th Premier League goal in a 5–1 victory at Tottenham but was substituted with a hamstring injury.^[127][128]

On 2 March 2014, Agüero returned to the Manchester City team for the 2014 Football League Cup Final, where the team beat Sunderland 3–1 at Wembley Stadium.^[129] In his third appearance since returning from the hamstring problem, Agüero suffered a recurrence of the injury and was withdrawn at half-time in a 2–1 Champions League loss at Camp Nou against Barcelona.^[130] He missed the team’s next five Premier League matches, before returning to the starting line-up in a 3–2 loss against Liverpool at Anfield on 13 April.^[131]

On 21 April 2014, Agüero scored his first goal since January in a 3–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion at the City of Manchester Stadium.^[132] After scoring his final goal of the season in a 3–2 win over Everton at Goodison Park on 3 May, Agüero started for Manchester City against West Ham as the team secured its second Premier League title in three seasons with a 2–0 win.^[133]

2014–15 seasonEdit

Agüero playing against CSKA Moscow in October 2014

On 14 August 2014, Agüero signed a new five-year contract to keep him at Manchester City until 2019.^[134]

Agüero scored his first goal of 2014–15 while appearing as an 83rd-minute substitute for Edin Džeko in City’s opening match of the Premier League season against Newcastle on 17 August.^[135] Due to his late return from the World Cup, Agüero was again used as a substitute in the second game of the season against Liverpool, but, after replacing Džeko, took just 23 seconds to score City’s third goal in the 3–1 win.^[136]

On 18 October 2014, he scored all four of City’s goals in a 4–1 home win over Tottenham, two of which were penalties; he took another penalty in the match, but it was saved by Hugo Lloris. This took Agüero to 61 Premier League goals for the club, surpassing Carlos Tevez as the club’s record scorer in the competition.^[137] He was the first player in the season to reach ten Premier League goals, doing so with the only goal in the Manchester derby on 2 November.^[138]Aguero is every bit as important to them as Luis Suárez was to Liverpool last year or Gareth Bale to Tottenham Hotspur the year before.

— English football journalist Martin Samuel after City’s win over Bayern Munich.^[139]

Agüero scored a hat-trick in City’s 3–2 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions Leaguegroup stage on 25 November, starting with a penalty which he won himself.^[140] Five days later, in his 100th Premier League match, he was wrongly booked for simulation by referee Mike Jones after being fouled by José Fontein the penalty area, although City went on to defeat Southampton 3–0.^[141]

On 2 December, Agüero was named the Football Supporters’ Federation Player of the Year for 2014.^[142][143] He was also awarded Premier League Player of the Month for November 2014, a month in which he scored three league goals and assisted two more.^[144]

Agüero sustained a knee injury in the second minute of Manchester City’s 1–0 win over Everton on 6 December^[145] and was unable to appear again for the remainder of 2014. He returned to City’s matchday squad for the return fixture with Everton at Goodison Park on 10 January 2015^[146] and appeared as a 67th-minute substitute in the 1–1 draw.^[147]On 11 February, Agüero scored his first two goals of 2015 in a 4–1 win at Stoke City.^[148]On 21 February 72 seconds into a match against Newcastle United, Agüero scored the fastest penalty kick in the Premier League since 1994.^[149][150]

On 12 April, Agüero scored twice in a 4–2 Manchester derby loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford. His second goal of the match took him to 100 goals for Manchester City in all competitions.^[151] On 19 April, he scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season in a 2–0 home win against West Ham United.^[152] He passed 30 goals for the season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Queens Park Rangers at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 May, relegating the opponents.^[153] On 24 May, in Manchester City’s final match of the season against Southampton, Agüero scored his 26th league goal of the season, ending 2014–15 with the Premier League Golden Boot.^[154]

2015–16 seasonEdit

On 7 August 2015, Agüero announced he would be switching from his number 16 shirt to the number 10 shirt, previously worn by teammate Edin Džeko.^[155] Nine days later, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 home victory over reigning champions Chelsea.^[156]

During City’s 2–0 victory away at Everton on 23 August, Agüero halted the game after noticing that an Everton supporter was in need of emergency treatment. The striker alerted the referee and the other players and made sure that the man received attention from the medics.^[157] On 30 September, Agüero earned and converted a last-minute penalty to give City a 2–1 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League group stage.^[158]

On 3 October, Agüero scored five goals against Newcastle in a 6–1 comeback win, joining Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov in scoring as many in a Premier League game.^[159] His five goals within 23 minutes of game time made it the fastest five-goal haul since the Premier League started in 1992.^[160] Four minutes after scoring his fifth goal in the 62nd minute, Agüero was substituted by manager Manuel Pellegrini, as he had been receiving treatment due to a leg injury at half time.^[161]

On 8 October, in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador, Agüero sustained a hamstring injury early on and was carried off the pitch in tears. Agüero himself said he expected to be out for around four weeks (in which the derby against Manchester United was to be played), although several media outlets later claimed the injury would last for eight weeks.^[162][163] He returned on 21 November, scoring in a 1–4 home loss to Liverpool; this was his 85th Premier League goal, making him the top-scoring South American of all time in the division, ahead of his compatriot and former strike partner Carlos Tevez.^[164]

On 16 April 2016, Agüero scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Chelsea, ending with a penalty kick. He became the third visiting player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, and the fifth player to have three 20-goal seasons in the division.^[165] Three days later, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 1–1 draw at Newcastle. He reached the century in 147 games, second only to Alan Shearer who did so in 124.^[166] The goal was also Agüero’s sixth against Newcastle for the season, making his just the sixth player in the Premier League era to have scored six goals against the same club in a single campaign.^[167]

Agüero ended the 2015–16 Premier Leagueseason with 24 goals, one behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane and level with Jamie Vardy.^[168] However, with his goals coming from 30 appearances, Agüero recorded the league’s best goals to minute ratio.^[169]

2016–17 seasonEdit

On 13 August 2016, Agüero scored Manchester City’s first competitive goal under the management of Pep Guardiola in a 2–1 victory against Sunderland on the opening day of the 2016–17 Premier League season.^[170]

In a league match against West Ham on 28 August, Agüero struck opponent Winston Reidin the throat with his arm, an incident which went unpunished by the referee. Reid lost his voice with the strike, and had to be substituted. The FA gave Agüero a three-match ban for violent conduct, accusing him of behaving in an “aggressive manner that was excessive in force and brutal”.^[171]

On 5 November 2016, Agüero scored his 150th goal for Manchester City in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough in the league.^[172]Agüero was sent off in a 1–3 loss to Chelsea on 3 December for a tackle on David Luiz and was given a four-match suspension.^[173]“He’s a legend, and it’s a part of history in the club. Aguero’s numbers speak for themselves – he is amazing.”

— Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola on Agüero after he scored a hat-trick against Watford, putting him two goals away from becoming club record scorer.^[174]

2017–18 seasonEdit

Having scored on Manchester City’s opening fixture of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on 12 August,^[175] Agüero scored his second goal of the season against Liverpool in a 5–0 win on 9 September. This was his 124th Premier League goal, and saw him overtake Trinidadian Dwight Yorke as the top-scoring non-European in the competition’s history.^[176] One week later, Agüero scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Watford to put Manchester City top of the league. On 28 September, Agüero was involved in a road accident after attending a Maluma concert in Amsterdam, when his taxi crashed into a lamppost. He was left with a fractured rib and ruled out for two weeks.^[177][178]

On 21 October, Agüero scored his 177th goal for Manchester City in a 3–0 win over Burnley, equalling the record set by Eric Brook. This was also the Citizens 11th straight win, equalling another club record.^[179] He scored his record 178th goal for the team on 1 November away at Napoli in a Champions League group game, a 4–2 win that sent his team through to the knockout stages of the competition.^[180]

On 20 January, Agüero scored his second hat-trick of the season against Newcastle in a 3–1 win, his second goal being the landmark 350th goal of his career.^[181] He was later awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for January, claiming the award for the fifth time in his career.^[182]

On 10 February, Agüero scored four goals in a 5–1 Premier League home thrashing of Leicester City, claiming his third hat-trick of the season.^[183] He opened the scoring in the 2018 EFL Cup Final on 25 February, by chipping Arsenal‘s David Ospina in a 1vs1 situation, ultimately helping City secure a convincing 3–0 victory at Wembley Stadium.^[184]

2018–19 seasonEdit

In City’s first game of the season, Agüero scored both goals in the 2–0 2018 FA Community Shield victory over Chelsea, the first goal being his 200th for the club.^[185] On 19 August 2018, Agüero scored his 9th Premier League hat-trick in a 6–1 home victory against Huddersfield Town, putting him behind only Alan Shearer‘s 11.^[186] He also leapfrogged Robin van Persie to enter the league’s top ten scorers of all time, and second place in foreign Premier League scorers only to Thierry Henry‘s 175.^[187]Agüero hit the post twice in a 1–1 away draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[188] On 21 September, Manchester City confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2021.^[189] On 22 September, in his 300th appearance for Manchester City, Agüero scored the opening goal in an eventual 5–0 away win over Cardiff City.^[190]

On 4 November, Agüero scored his 150th Premier League goal in a 6–1 home win over Southampton, which was his 217th Premier League appearance; he became only the ninth player in history to achieve this landmark, and only the third player after Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney to manage this tally with a single side. He was also the second-fastest player to reach this milestone, after Alan Shearer, who took five fewer appearances.^[191][192] On 11 November, Agüero scored the second goal in a 3–1 win against Manchester United, making him the joint highest scorer in Manchester derbies in the Premier League era, level with Wayne Rooney).^[193] On 29 January 2019, Agüero scored within 24 seconds in an eventual 2–1 defeat at Newcastle United.^[194] On 3 February, Agüero scored a hat-trick against rivals Arsenal, including one goal within 48 seconds, bringing his Premier League tally of hat-tricks to ten, in a 3–1 win at the Etihad Stadium.^[195]On 10 February, Agüero scored his 11th hat-trick in the Premier League, as Manchester City defeated rivals Chelsea 6–0 at home;^[196]with this feat, he equalled Alan Shearer’s record of 11 in the competition.^[197] The hat trick also saw Agüero overtake Tommy Johnson’s and Eric Brook’s record of 158 league goals for the club, and set a new record of 160 goals.^[198] The following month, he scored twice in a 7–0 (10–2 aggregate) Champions League win over Schalke and in doing so helped the club equal the record for the largest winning margin in the knockout-phase of the competition.^[199][200]

Born and raised in Walthamstow, Kane began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, where, after fast progression through the team’s youth academy, he was promoted to the senior team in 2009, at age 16. He did not initially feature for the side, and was loaned out several times to clubs across the English football pyramid, including Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City, and Norwich City.

Algeria yesterday won their second trophy after 29 years by defeating Senegal 1-0 in the final.

Bounedjah opened the scoring in 2 minutes putting the desert foxes ahead.

Riyad Mahrez has won five trophies with Manchester City including the EPL ,EFL Carabao Cup, FA Cup and AFCON.

Celebrations were all over in the stadium and back in Algeria as fans celebrated the victory.

After Antoine Griezmann making a summer move to La Liga rivals Barcelona from Atletico Madrid.

The French forward becomes the fifth most expensive player after Phillipe Coutinho.

Here are top 10 most expensive transfers in football.