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Arsenal or Liverpool can sign new Sergio Aguero for just £25m after he scores 15 goals in 17 games
With Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur all hot on his heels, follow in the footsteps of Sergio Aguero is emerging as a genuine possibility for a striker who idolises the Manchester City legend.
Back in 2020, when offered the opportunity to sit under the City Football Group umbrella with a move to Belgian outfit Lommel, a centre-forward straight out of Central America was understandably thrilled at the prospect of future switch to the Etihad, donning the same sky blue shirt in which Sergio Aguero fired his way into th𝐆e Premier League’s history books.
Nearly five years later, taking a rather round-a-bout route to the tওop of the European game, doors are finally opening up for Manfre🌟d Ugalde.
TBR Football can confirm that 🅠Manchester City have been alerted♎ to Ugalde’s stunning form over in Russ♊ia with Spartak Moscow. After representing one of the City Football Group’s somewhat ‘lesser’ sides earlier in his somewhat no🍌madic career, the CFC’s headline institution are running the rule over him these days.
As are Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham. Newcastle United, Brentford, Brighton and Nottingham Forest too, not to mention countless club꧂s all across the continent.
A tally of 15 goals in 17 league starts will have that effꦡect on your reputation. Ugalde was battling for starts at Eredivisie outfit FC Twente not so long ago, and the speed of his ascent will have come as a considerable shock to those who watched the Costa Rican start fewer than 30 matches in three seasons in Enschede.
Yet, even in his cameo role at Twente, there were signs of a very p💞romising centre-forward for those with eyes to see. Ugalde’s movement and link-play stood out in the Netherlands. And, with the 22-year-old now adding a ruthless 𒆙streak to his game over in Russia, the sky suddenly seems to be the limit.
Manfred Ugalde channels Sergio Aguero as Manchester City scout striker
“If you are a striker, you hav🌄e to score a lot. Ugalde is a good striker, so everything works out for him,” Spartak Moscow teammate Theo Bongonda tells .
“Perhaps [he is similar to] Aguero. But, overall, Manfred is one of a kind. He is a special player and a great person. I am sure he has a great 🌳future ahead of him.”
With the diminutive yet stocky frame𒀰 of a featherweight boxer, instincts sharper than a barber’s blade and emphatic, almost brutal finishing, there is a distinctly Sergio Aguero-esque nature in the way Ugalde leads the line.
In Spartak’s 5-2 obliteration of Moscow neighbours Lokomotiv at the end of November, Ugalde hit the target four times in just 63 minutes. That four-goal haul was part of a run of nine in four 𓂃Russian Premier League matches.
T🐠he first player in the tournament’s history ever to achieve such a feat.
His opener against Lokomotiv, meanwhile, was classic Ugalde. As tꦯhe visiting goalkeeper dawdled on the ball, Ugarde came steaming🔥 in, blocking his clearance and sending it spinning into the net.
Barcelona move talked up as Liverpool and Tottenham eye Spartak Moscow star
“The best player of 2024 is Ugalde,” former Spartak forward Yuri Semin tells . “Firstly, a striker must score goals. He has scored more go🌠als than anyone else.
“Secondly, he took criticism correctly, and there was a lot of it. Now, they have stopped q🧜uestioning his qualities.”
TBR understands that Manfred Ugalde is available for £25 million ⛄due to a release clause in his deal. A release clause Spartak may regret including, although a bidding war could yet emerge due to the level of interest. One which could eventually go over and above said release clause.
“He is already worth 25 million euros, minimum. Any European club will buy him,” former Spartak director Alexan🦩der Shikunov argues, 🅠speaking to .
Speculation has seen Ugalde linked with Spanish giants Barcelona. And ไwhile that may raise eyebrows, Shikunov points out that few expected Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to blossom into one of Europe’s elite wingers when the former Rubin Kazan starlet joined Napoli for just £9 million back in 2021.
“Anything can h🎀appen,” Shikunov adds. “[Robert] Lewandowski is an older footballer.
“We didn’t think that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would be at Napoli and half the world would be hunting for him. He moved to Napoli. Now, many clubs in England and Barcelona want to buy h🌠im for hundreds of millions.”
Ugalde, meanwhile, is not the only Aguero-like centre-forw🐟ard on the radar of multiple Pre🥀mier League clubs.
Besiktas teenager Semih Kilicsoy has been likened to the Man City legend too. Aston Villa saw their❀ interest in Kilicsoy confirmed recently by former Besik😼tas chief – and one-time Villa goalkeeper – Brad Friedel.
Arsenal and Manchest𓆏er City are watching the Turkey international too, according to Kilicsoy’s agent.