According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester City have zeroed in on Patson Daka as a probable replacement for Sergio Aguero. The club believe they need a striker regardless of whether Aguero renews his deal which is set to expire at the end of this season.
Born in Zambia, Daka began his journey with Nchanga Rangers in his homeland before joining Kafue Celtic. He then spent half a season on loan with Liefering before joining RB Salzburg in the summer of 2017. He initially joined the youth set up and helped the club with the UEFA Youth League that season as he scored 2 goals in 2 games in the competitions.
Though he initially struggled with the club’s senior set-up, he was a part of the side which won the league in 2017/18 and the following campaign. Last season, he led the team to the league title with 31 goals and also helped Salzburg lift the Austrian Cup title.
Daka played a key role in Zambia U20s Africa Cup of Nations win in 2017 and was named the African Youth Player. He is currently a part of the senior side with 18 appearances and 2 goals (source – Transfermarkt).
Sergio Aguero is slowly nearing his mid-30s despite looking like a 25-year-old who is just entering his prime years as a striker. The forward still looks like he has got the goods to play through another year or two.
City’s problem, however, is the fact that Gabriel Jesus is also injured. Even when he is fit, he hardly looks like a player to take over from Aguero. In his absence, Raheem Sterling has had to shift to a central role, something he is not entirely convincing in.
Patson Daka could well be the solution to City’s striker issues. He has ridiculous stats for Salzburg with 66 goal contributions in just 94 games (source – Transfermarkt). While those numbers may be in the Austrian league, they are still very good numbers for a 22-year-old.
The club should look to sign Daka at the earliest given their striker related issues. After all, there are way too many clubs looking at him as per the report.