Carlos Tévez’ sensational return to Boca Juniors in this transfer window is unlikely to kickstart a pattern of players still at their peak swapping the lucrative shores of Europe for Argentine football. However, Sergio Agüero’s father is adamant that his son will do just that after the 2018 World Cup in Russia to play for boyhood club, Independiente.

Agüero himself has always maintained that he would return to Independiente before his best playing days were behind him and his father, Leonel del Castillo confirmed this in the aftermath of the Copa América final: “He wants to come back. After Russia he’ll be returning with lots of energy.”

The Manchester City striker ended the 2014/15 season as the Premier League’s leading scorer and the Citizens will want to hold onto their star striker for as long as possible. In 2018, Agüero will only be 30 and barring any serious injury, he should still be in the top bracket of strikers in Europe. A return to Independiente and the Argentine Primera would be a massive coup and a huge boost to his beloved club, who have experienced difficult times since his sale in 2006.

Agüero joined the Independiente academy at the age of nine and became the youngest player in the Primera when he made his first-team debut not long after his fifteenth birthday. 23 goals in 54 appearances followed including a breathtaking solo goal in clásico with Racing, before his €20 transfer to Atlético Madrid. The money paid considerably for the work done on the stadium and so it is easy to see why Agüero has remained a firm favourite with supporters.

More recently, the 27-year-old Argentina international donated a significant amount of money towards a new training complex with the hope now that in 2018 Agüero will benefit from. Frankly for Independiente supporters this cannot come fast enough.

Aguero’s father also spoke on the issue of Lionel Messi stepping away from the national side and said, “No one is leaving the national team. I don’t think anyone is going to stop coming back to play for the national team.”

Messi and his son have been roommates since playing together in the Argentina youth sides and he added: “Any decision they make will be made together.”