Sergio Aguero will leave big shoes to fill when he bids an emotional farewell to Manchester City this summer.
The club announced that their all-time leading goalscorer will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season after a decade of success.
The Argentine will be remembered most fondly for his stoppage-time goal against QPR which that won City their first Premier League title in 2011, snatching it away from their Manchester rivals at the death.
Sergio Aguero will leave big shoes to fill when he departs Manchester City this summer
Aguero has won a further 12 trophies since then and could add more to his collection before he departs with the quadruple still a possibility.
There is no doubt Aguero will be missed but there is little time for City boss Pep Guardiola to be sentimental. Attention now turns to who the manager will look to bring in as the striker’s replacement.
The club have been linked with several big names including Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, both of whom could be looking for a move this summer. As City prepare for life without Aguero, Sportsmail takes a look at who their next goalscoring hero could be.
The Argentine won City their first Premier League trophy with an injury-time goal against QPR
Erling Haaland
The Borussia Dortmund striker will be a man in-demand this summer with a host of European clubs all desperate to sign him.
The Norwegian has 33 goals in 31 games across all competitions at club level this season after his tally of 44 in 40 matches for both Dortmund and RB Salzburg last term.
The 20-year-old looks set for a big money move in the near future and Sportsmail understands he is City’s No 1 target this summer.
The forward has proven he can be a deadly finisher and would no doubt flourish alongside the likes of Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan.
Erling Haaland has proved he can be a deadly finisher and is City’s No 1 target this summer
Haaland has a release clause of £66million but that does not become active until the end of next season, meaning he will not come cheap for any club looking to sign him this year.
He is likely to push for a move if Dortmund do not qualify for the Champions League but City could face competition from Man United, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
City’s connection to the Haaland family could prove beneficial with the striker’s father Alf-Inge having played for the club between 2000 and 2003.
Harry Kane
Despite scoring 216 goals for Tottenham, Kane is yet to win a trophy at domestic level.
That would likely change if he made the switch to the Etihad, although he could pick up his first piece of silverware if Spurs beat City in the Carabao Cup final.
The striker has shown a different side to his game this season by dropping deep and linking play, which has seen him accumulate 16 assists in all competitions.
His ability to operate in this kind of role could entice Guardiola, who often decides to play without a natural centre forward.
Like Haaland, Kane has interest from a host of European clubs but would be an expensive purchase given his contract does not expire until 2024.
The striker is crucial to Spurs and they would demand a fee of over £100m. They would also be incredibly reluctant to sell to a Premier League rival.
Harry Kane is a proven Premier League goalscorer but has also shown an ability to create goals
Kylian Mbappe
The Frenchman is already one of the biggest stars in football and many believe he and Haaland will develop a rivalry similar to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 22-year-old has scored 120 goals in 160 games since joining PSG from Monaco in 2018 and has already won nine trophies with the club.
Real Madrid are the favourites to sign him while Liverpool have also been credited with an interest. City are admirers and reportedly tried to sign him while he was still at Monaco in 2016.
Mbappe is not an out and out forward and can play on the left or right side of a front three, making him a versatile option.
However, reports suggested City were put off by Mbappe’s £600,000-per-week wage demands which could prove to be a sticking point going forward.
Kylian Mbappe has scored an impressive 120 goals in 160 games since joining PSG in 2018
Danny Ings
The Southampton striker emerged as a shock target for City earlier this month with Guardiola’s side seeing him as an ‘attainable option.’
Ings has rebuilt his career at the Saints after injury struggles at Liverpool. He was the second-highest scorer in the Premier League last season with 22 goals and has eight in 22 games this term.
The 28-year-old is yet to sign a new contract at Southampton and will enter the final year of his deal in the summer.
Ings would certainly be a cheaper option than the likes of Haaland or Kane but his injury record may be a concern.
The forward missed two seasons with Liverpool due to knee injuries and he then suffered hamstring issues during his loan spell with the Saints before signing permanently.
He was injury free for the whole of the 2019-20 campaign but has missed games this season after needing more knee surgery.
Danny Ings could prove to be a cheaper option with his contract set to expire in 2022
Lionel Messi
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner looked ready to leave Barcelona for City last summer after handing in a transfer request but the Catalans blocked any potential exit.
Messi will be a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season and a reunion with Guardiola could be on the cards once again.
The pair won 14 trophies together before the manager left the Nou Camp in 2013.
Despite Barca going through a turbulent period, Messi has 29 goals and 13 assists in all competitions and has helped the club get back into the LaLiga title race.
While City is one destination Messi could end up, PSG have also been heavily linked with the forward.
The 33-year-old could still decide to stay at Barca after Joan Laporta was re-elected as the club’s president, bringing some much needed stability. Laporta has made it clear he will do everything he can to keep the Argentine at the club.
Lionel Messi could leave Barcelona and reuine with former boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian knows all about the Premier League after spells with United, Chelsea, Everton and West Brom.
Lukaku is said to be a genuine target for City, despite playing for their Manchester rivals, with the club impressed by his form for Inter Milan in the last two years.
His performances have helped put the club top of Serie A, six points clear of rivals AC Milan with a game in hand.
The striker has 25 goals in all competitions this season, nine short of the tally he managed in the previous campaign.
He is also a proven scorer in the Premier League with 113 goals during his eight years in England.
Lukaku’s deal expires in 2024 but he will begin new contract talks at the end of the season. The striker is set to stay with the club providing Antonio Conte remains as manager but could consider other options if the Italian was to depart.
Romelu Lukaku has admirers at the Etihad after his impressive goalscoring form for Inter Milan