Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed his eagerness to see Brahim Diaz extend his contract at the Etihad amid strong rumours of possible exit.
Diaz, 19, is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from the City academy in recent years, but with the teenager’s contract set to expire in the summer, the Spaniard could follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and leave the Etihad.
Why did Sancho leave City? Five things to know…
- Having been presented a lucrative deal – believed to be in the region of £30,000 – Sancho turned down the offer and left in the summer of 2017.
- With no guarantees of first-team opportunities at City, Sancho parted in search of playing time.
- He joined Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £8m.
- Dortmund have a proven track record for blooding in and nurturing young talent.
- Guardiola has already expressed his eagerness for Diaz to follow in the path of Phil Foden and stay in North West England.
Having left City, Sancho has since flourished in the Ruhr district, becoming an indispensable component of Lucien Favre’s starting XI as Dortmund sit atop the Bundesliga.
Such has been the teenage tyro’s ascent that he has been awarded three England caps in recent months, sending out a clear message that his decision to leave the Premier League fostered a substantial growth in his development.
Speaking about Diaz’s future at the Etihad, Guardiola admitted that City would have no control should Diaz choose to follow a similar path to Sancho.
“It’s the same as Phil [Foden] and Sancho, the academy has to be proud. It is a signal we are working really well.
“My advice if he doesn’t want to stay he has to leave. It’s simple.
“We protect him – the same with Jadon, Phil – but he has to decide. It’s no more than that.”
“The market is the market”
Guardiola himself went on to confess that City are guilty of scouring England in an attempt to poach young talent from the grasp of lower end clubs, though he was quick to point out that that is simply the harsh nature of the modern market.
He stated that his side are culpable of “going all round England to take players” whilst also stressing that “the market is the market”.
However, the Catalonian did point out that City are responsible for the construction of one of the most contemporary and state-of-the-art youth academies in world football, believing that, as a result, his side treat young players with the utmost respect and admiration.
He added: “They [academy players] cannot say we didn’t do everything to look after them, and their families, as human beings and football players.”
Speaking more on Diaz, who is yet to make a single appearance in the Premier League this season, Guardiola revealed that he will sit down and have a discussion with the player and his family to try and resolve the issue.
“All we can do is speak with their families, we don’t lie to them, tell them how complicated it is in some periods,” Guardiola added of Diaz.
“Maybe they visualise he’s going to play in other places, maybe it happens, maybe not.”
The post Pep Guardiola looking to avoid another Sancho situation with Brahim Diaz appeared first on Squawka News.
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