Aguero talks Barcelona move, Lionel Messi, No. 10 shirt: “I believed that Messi was going to return”

Speaking in an extensive interview with Juan Pablo Varsky on the Clank channel (h/t SPORT), former Barcelona forward Sergio Aguero opened up about his move to Catalonia and Lionel Messi’s desire to continue with the Blaugrana.

The former Argentina forward said that upon his arrival, he had a chat with Messi, who assured him that he is working on his renewal with Barcelona.

It is to be noted that Aguero arrived at Barcelona in May 2021 and before the season began, Messi left for Paris-Saint Germain.

“In January 2021 City told me that they were not going to renew my contract. In February they confirmed it to me. I wanted one more year, I was willing to be on the bench. 

“I had been playing little with Pep, but I wanted to help. I felt that I was going to serve as a physicist to play in the World Cup one more year,” said the forward.

Chat with Messi

The former Manchester City forward revealed that Barcelona reached out to him during the summer of 2021 and he was eager to move cities. In fact, he spoke to Messi about the move and was very excited about playing with him at the club level.

“A call came from Barça, but they couldn’t pay me for City. I didn’t care, I told my manager to put the numbers together and it was fixed in two days. When I had it closed I spoke to Leo, I imagined playing with him and what happened happened,” he added.

Sergio Aguero did not get to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Amidst all this, Aguero was aware of Messi’s situation at Barcelona and he did speak to him about it. The legendary Barcelona forward assured him that he would renew his deal with Barcelona.

“Leo assured me that it was going to be fixed (his renewal with Barça), that he was going to start training. I saw the news and I thought it was a fake. I wrote to him and he said ‘yes’. I didn’t even know what to answer him, I didn’t answer him anymore. I saw him the next day and he was pretty bad.”

Upon Messi’s departure, Aguero revealed that he was offered the number 10 shirt by Barcelona, but he just could not take it not just out of respect for Messi but he believed the forward would eventually return to Barcelona.

“As soon as Leo left, the club offered me the ’10’, I told them no. No. because I didn’t want to use it, I had been the ’10’ in all my clubs. But I believed that Messi was going to return. I told them that someone else should use it. 

“You are the only one who can use it, you or Ansu… They told me. I told them to give it to Ansu Fati, for me the ’10’ is Leo’s, if he’s not there, don’t use it,” revealed Aguero.