Manchester City news: Sergio Aguero targeting Champions League and Ballon D’Or next season

The Argentinian has never reached a Champions League final and has not had much recognition in terms of individual awards

Sergio Aguero has targeted the Champions League for Manchester City next season, and with it the Ballon d’Or.

Aguero scored the crucial equaliser in City’s 4-1 title-sealing win at Brighton yesterday, helping to confirm his fourth Premier League title during his eight years at the club. But Aguero, who turns 31 next month, has still never reached a Champions League final and has not had much recognition in terms of individual awards.

City still have the FA Cup final to contest next Saturday but then focus will switch to next season, the fourth of the Pep Guardiola era. And to the next Champions League final, in Istanbul in May 2020.

Speaking after Sunday’s 4-1 win at Brighton, Aguero admitted that the Champions League final next year was the next challenge for this team. Especially after they were knocked out under such fine margins in the quarter-finals this year, with Aguero being ruled offside by VAR to disallow what would have been a Raheem Sterling winner at the Etihad.

“I think so,” Aguero said. “Obviously our objective this year was also to fight for the Champions League but these things happen in football. We were out by such a small margin, by an elbow that was offside. But next season we will try to fight until the end.”

Aguero has never had much recognition in individual awards, never winning the FWA or PFA end of season awards, or competing for the Ballon d’Or. And Aguero accepted that if he is to compete for the biggest individual prizes then he will have to get further in the Champions League.

During his eight years at City he has only got to the semis once, under Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. Asked whether he needed to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or, Aguero said: “I think so yes. At the end of the day, for the Ballon d’Or I think you have to be in the Champions League, no matter what.”

Aguero celebrates with the Premier League trophy (Getty)

Aguero said that his equaliser, 83 seconds after Glenn Murray had headed Brighton into the lead, was “fundamental” and that it would have been a different game if City had gone into half-time 1-0 down at the Amex.

“Obviously there was a lot of time left, and fortunately the goal came pretty quickly,” Aguero said. “Obviously when you’re 1-0 down you think a little and are a bit nervous. But the goal I scored was fundamental because if the first half had ended with us 1-0 down it would have been complicated. But luckily we turned it around.”