Sergio Aguero could tarnish his Manchester City legacy this summer if his desire to stay in the Premier League sees him join one of their domestic rivals.
Each of Manchester United, Liverpool and now Chelsea have been linked with a short-term deal for the 32-year-old striker who has managed three goals across 14 appearances this season.
City have also announced that the Argentina forward will be getting a statue for his services to the club, which is set to include a fifth league title come the end of the campaign.
However, should he choose to accept an offer from a rival English club and join on a free transfer, that could make things slightly uncomfortable for his former supporters.
The Mail have reported that Aguero is determined to continue in the Premier League – and that Chelsea are in prime position to land him for free.
They add that Aguero will also have offers from Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG – but that Manchester United and Liverpool will not be at the bidding table.
Liverpool are said to been focusing on RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate and not a striker, while Chelsea are determined to bring in a forward with Timo Werner struggling.
That comes after Dimitar Berbatov said that Aguero would be welcomed at Old Trafford should he swap City for United in a shock move this summer.
Speaking as a Betfair ambassador, Berbatov said: “There’s a lot of speculation about where he will go at the end of the season, I would absolutely take him at Manchester United.
“Despite his connection to City and everything he has done there he is a player you can not hate.
“It’s painful for City but if they are letting him go then they are deciding that he has past his peak and they will have someone to replace him. He’s still only 32, I left United at 31 and Rooney left at 31 but it’s a different time now and a player like Aguero can still do a lot of damage for a club like United.
“He knows how to save his strength, he knows how and when to attack and when to wait for the right moment, look at how Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are performing, they are still making a big impact.
“I think Aguero would be a good addition to United but I can’t see it happening because of his loyalty to City. He is still capable of scoring goals and causing damage, but there maybe other younger strikers out there worth chasing ahead of him.”