Chelsea's interest in Sergio Aguero doesn’t surprise me at all.
In fact, the only thing that does surprise me is the fact that upwardly mobile clubs such as Leeds, Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton aren’t in the hunt for him, too.
Aguero’s wage demands won’t be hyper-excessive in terms of what he offers – 25 goals a season and bundles of experience that he can pass on to every other striker at a club.
I know Barcelona are the favourites to land the 32-year-old when he finally leaves Manchester City and he may well fancy going there.
He’d have a lovely lifestyle in Spain. Barcelona is a fantastic city, with a wonderful football club, and of course his mate and fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi is there.
For the time being, at least.
But there’s an equally-persuasive argument for joining Thomas Tuchel’s revolution at Stamford Bridge given that the Blues, on the evidence of their Champions League defeat of Atletico Madrid, are a coming force in Europe.
Chelsea are not exactly short of dough and they have already got the makings of a really good frontline.
Bringing in Aguero as a fox-in-the-box No.9 is exactly what they need.
Arguably, Olivier Giroud, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner can play anywhere in a front three and, with Aguero straight through the middle, they’d have one hell of a strike force.
Tammy Abraham could learn how to play that central role from one of the all-time great Premier League strikers, as could Werner. And, even at this stage of his career, Giroud could pick up a few things, too.
Midfielders such as Mason Mount would also benefit greatly from playing with an Aguero in terms of learning where, when and how he wants balls played into the box.
It would be a very good move for both the player and Chelsea, and he could end up being revered at both the Etihad and the Bridge.
I know one or two will wonder if such a move would taint his City legacy, but there’s no chance of that. Frank Lampard is a Chelsea legend who was also really appreciated at City, and Aguero could well do the same in reverse.
Given the goals he has scored since moving to Manchester City, and the trophies they have won thanks to those goals, he owes the club nothing.
I’d even go as far as to suggest that, just as goalpoacher supreme Denis Law managed to maintain a legacy at both Manchester clubs, if Aguero ever scored a hat-trick for Chelsea at the Etihad, he’d get applauded off the pitch by both sets of supporters.
A bit like his former Etihad team-mate David Silva, there are players who transcend their clubs and Aguero, as a City legend, is one of them.
His goals would be just what Chelsea need.
Since Tuchel’s arrival, the Blues have been much tighter at the back but haven’t been as free-scoring.
It’s unfair to say the German has done what his predecessor Lamps couldn’t do by making them difficult to beat because his remit is completely different.
Under Lampard, Chelsea spent £200million-plus and wanted to be on the front foot, whereas Tuchel knows that if he wants to keep the job for longer than 18 months the basis of everything will be clean sheets.
As much as I like Lampard and think he will go on to have a great managerial career if he wants it, I really like Tuchel as well and have huge respect for the way he has thrown himself into the Chelsea job after his disappointing exit at Paris Saint-Germain.
He is working well at the Bridge and, if he can get his hands on Aguero this summer, then he will have one hell of a team next season.
