Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that he 'cannot assure' Raheem Sterling that he will receive a more prominent role for the team in the coming months.
The 26-year-old's current deal at the Etihad Stadium is due to expire in June 2023, and it is thought that negotiations between the two parties have been paused.
Sterling has revealed that he would be open to leaving the Citizens in the near future, with the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal and Newcastle United thought to be interested.
Guardiola is hopeful that the England international will remain at the club on a long-term basis, but the Spaniard cannot guarantee the former Liverpool attacker that he will receive the amount of starts that he wants.
"Raheem is our player and will hopefully be an incredibly important player for us," Guardiola told reporters. "Some players want to play all the time but I can't assure them of that."
"They have the opportunity because they know they're going to play minutes, I don't only play 11 players and that's all. All of them are involved. What I want from Raheem and everyone is for them to be happy."
Sterling has scored once and provided one assist in 10 appearances for the Citizens this season.
Matt Law
