Rumors have been swirling about a possible swap deal between Manchester City and Arsenal involving Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero. The Coshboys have their say on this fun bit of gossip. Check it out:

1. Swap deals are often rumoured. They tend to either go awry for one side (Gallas and Cole?) or not happen at all. But let’s assume City and Arsenal do the Sanchez/Aguero swap. Who gets the better deal?

Alex: Alex: City, just about. I don’t think there’s much difference in the quality of these two players and in terms of goals Aguero edges it, but while the Argentinian suffers from frequent periods of injury, Alexis is almost impervious to it (or at least refuses to accept it). I think he’s also a year younger, and obviously the Chilean is more flexible positionally.

Rishay: Interestingly enough, we’ve seen a swap deal done before with Pep: The famous Ibrahimovic for Eto’o + 40m. It was a horrendous transfer that should never be forgotten #lestweforget. From City’s point of view, Sanchez looks the better player at the moment as he is less injured than Aguero over the course of a season. City will get the better deal if this goes through as Aguero is aging, and they also have Gabriel Jesus up front, amongst other striking options. From Arsenal’s point of view, having a lethal striker like Aguero who could replace Giroud up front could transform their attack. However, his injuries will be a concern as they always are at Arsenal. Could be a pretty good swap for both clubs all things considered.

Bernie: I agree with Rishay that Aguero’s injury record is the last thing Arsenal need. However, they do need a player like him, perhaps more so than they need a player like Sanchez. Arsenal play best when they have players that play into the system as opposed to when a man goes rogue. When Sanchez goes it alone he can be an unstoppable force but perhaps Arsenal require a pure striker with movement to get the best out of their midfield. Maybe Wenger needs to invest in an actual decent midfield first.

2. Do Manchester City really need Sanchez?

Bernie: No. He’s a wonderful player but in Sane they have a player who needs to be allowed to continue his development. De Bruyne is on the brink of world class and Bernardo Silva has just joined. Maybe Pep wants to play him up front but I think that will not serve Gabriel Jesus well at all. Considering how the Pep and Alexis thing didn’t work out at Barcelona I think they should look elsewhere with or without Aguero.

Alex: They don’t need him if they keep Aguero – which Sheikh Mansour said they would.  It’s unclear how Pep would use Alexis, but the squad already has Bernardo, Sane, Sterling, De Bruyne, David Silva and Gabriel Jesus (assuming Kelechi is going).  If they keep Aguero AND sign Alexis, you’d think the latter would play wide. Except check these recent comments by Pep:

“I think the position Arsenal are using him as a striker, in front, it is perfect for him. In Barcelona maybe I didn’t help him too much because he played wide. He can do that but he is better between the lines, closer to the goal.”

So would Guardiola move to a 3-5-2 for Alexis? He did experiment with it towards the end of last season.

Rishay: I don’t think they are that desperate for Sanchez – the squad is fairly well balanced and they’d be fine without him. That said, my gut feeling is that they’d be 10%-15% better with him in the side, which could actually win them the league if you think about it. Sanchez and Silva creating inroads along with Kevin De Bruyne? Hold on now….I need to pause and think about that!

3. Would Sanchez be better off at Bayern Munich?

Rishay: I think winning the league won’t really be a challenge for Sanchez but in terms of European competition he could have his hands full. Sanchez at Bayern would make a fair bit of difference in their attack but only in the Champions League. Overall, he would be better off if he won the CL but not if he only ends up winning the Bundesliga.

Bernie: Financially, no, but on the pitch, yes! Manchester City can be a great team but they aren’t close to that yet. They will CONTEND for the Premier League but they aren’t a shoe-in to win it like Bayern are for the Bundesliga. Despite Ronaldo’s heroics for Madrid, Bayern probably would’ve gone through if not for the refs and had a realistic chance of winning the Champions League. City are way off that mark. Sanchez will be 29 this season his chance of winning the Champions League and being a key component for a club that does is dwindling. But that pay day from City tho!

Alex: He’d have a lot of fun in the Bundesliga, he’d be almost guaranteed to win trophies and he’d have a good shot at the Champions League. But it feels as though he’d be more comfortable at City, with a manager he knows and likes, lots of players around him that speak Spanish, a compatriot in Claudio Bravo and the “blood and thunder” of the Premier League does suit him.

4. Would City regret discarding Aguero?

Alex: I don’t think they will discard him, but yes. The guy has 169 goals for City in 253 games. It’s an astonishing record and you don’t give that up – especially to a rival – unless you’re convinced that he’s physically past his peak and about to deliver diminishing returns.

Bernie: Pep won’t or he might be too arrogant to say it if City do suffer the consequences. His injury record is not good but his goals record despite that is immense. He’s a hero to City fans and wants to stay a long time. If he manages to stay fit for a rival PL club it could get ugly for City.

Rishay: Hard to say as he scores when he plays with immense consistency. However, at age 29, his days are numbered, and City have Iheanacho and Gabriel Jesus available. It really all depends on how they play and link up with Sanchez.

Another good debate. So which side are you on; do City need Sanchez or are they better off building around Aguero? Let us know below or on Twitter.