Aguero says he didn't want to leave City & was shocked when Messi exited Barca

Sergio Aguero has reflected on his short stay at Barcelona and having to retire from the game due to a heart problem.

Aguero was a hugely prolific striker during his heyday and is best-known for a decorated 10-year spell with Man City.

The Argentine - who scored 41 times in 101 caps for his country - remains City's all-time leading goalscorer with 260 goals.

But after slipping down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola, the club revealed in March 2021 that he would leave that summer upon the expiry of his contract.

And Aguero revealed he was keen to stay at the club he had grown to love, but soon saw his head-turned by the opportunity of joining Barcelona.

'In January 2021 City told me that they were not going to renew my contract,' he told Juan Pablo Varsky on Clank. '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 being a year it was going to serve me physically to play in the World Cup.

'(But then) a call came from Barca, but they couldn't pay me what City were. I didn't care, I told my manager to put the numbers in and it was fixed in two days.

'When I had it closed I spoke to Leo (Messi), I imagined playing with him and what happened happened....'

However, a reunion with his fellow countryman never took place, with Barcelona unable to afford a new deal for Messi, who eventually joined PSG, due to financial restrictions.

And Aguero admitted that was tough to take and he couldn't quite believe Messi would depart the club where he became an icon.

He added: 'Leo assured me that it was going to be fixed (his renewal with Barca), that he was going to start training.

'I saw the news and I thought it was a fake. I