Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has announced his departure from the club in a video on social media.

Laporte has reportedly agreed to join Al-Nassr after five-and-a-half-years in England.

The Spain international will become the latest high-profile player to sign for a Saudi Pro League club, with ex-City team-mate Riyad Mahrez among them after making the move to Al-Ahli last month.

“Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you,” Laporte said in a video on Twitter that went on to show a highlights reel of his time at Man City.

“This is now our history. Thank you and see you really soon.”

Centre-back Laporte added in his social-media post: “It has lasted for five-and-a-half unforgettable years.

“Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart.”

Laporte will leave the Etihad after making 180 appearances for City, with his last outing for the club off the bench during their opening-day Premier League win at Burnley.

 

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After being restricted to a place among the substitutes for the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and the UEFA Super Cup triumph over Sevilla, he was absent from the matchday squad for last weekend’s win over Newcastle.

The arrival of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig has further pushed Laporte down the pecking order at City.

A powerful recruitment drive by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has seen Saudi Pro League teams – all PIF-owned – sign a plethora of the world’s best players this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson have all swapped the Premier League for the division in the Middle East during the past 12 months.

Laporte will now do the same after winning 13 trophies during his time at City, including five Premier League titles and last season’s Champions League.

Bernardo Silva has committed his future to Manchester City after he signed a new contract with the club until 2026.

Silva has again been linked with a summer switch away from the Etihad Stadium, with Barcelona reportedly chasing his signature for a number of years.

The Portugal international has ended speculation over his future for now by signing a new deal after his previous terms were due to expire in 2025.

“I’ve had six incredible years at Manchester City and I’m delighted to extend my time here,” Silva said.

“I am going into my seventh season at City. Since I arrived, I can only remember one season where we weren’t successful, so to be here until now meant trophies, meant winning a lot and I like to win. It is good to win.

“It is not easy to be a winning team. It is a very good feeling and I wanted to keep it that way.

“It has been a dream in terms of what we have achieved, the prospects of what we can still do. In six years, we have won five Premier Leagues, one Champions League and all of the cups. I couldn’t have it much better to be honest.

“What we achieved last season is something unique and we are going to try and grab that opportunity again this season.

“We heard that four in a row was never done in the Premier League before, so we want to try that because it is so tough.”

Manchester City midfielder Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish side Las Palmas on a season-long loan, the Premier League champions have announced.

The 20-year-old Argentinian joined City from Velez Sarsfield in January and has since made two substitute appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Perrone has also been an unused substitute twice this term but will now continue his development with the Gran Canaria-based LaLiga club.

A statement from City read: “Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish La Liga side UD Las Palmas on loan for the 2023/24 season.”

City, meanwhile, are hoping to complete the signing of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes.

The 21-year-old was due to complete formalities with the treble winners after they agreed a fee of £55.5million with the French club earlier this week.

Doku will become City’s third signing of the summer transfer window after the arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.

City have also been linked with Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace, with a move for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta now seeming unlikely.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will miss his side’s next two matches after undergoing “emergency” back surgery on Tuesday.

City said the operation was a “success” but his convalescence in Barcelona means assistant Juanma Lillo will take charge for their games against Sheffield United on Sunday and Fulham on September 2.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the 57-year-old Spaniard.

Started his coaching career early

While Lillo has no playing experience to draw upon, his coaching career started when he was only 16 years old after joining his local side Amaroz KE in the Basque region of northern Spain. He remained there for four years before taking charge of hometown club Tolosa CF in the Spanish fourth tier.

Called up to the big leagues

After several years in the lower reaches of the Spanish pyramid, Lillo got his big break at Salamanca in 1992, guiding them from the third division all the way to LaLiga in three years. As a result he became the Spanish top-flight’s youngest-ever coach at the time, aged just 29. He was sacked with Salamanca languishing in the relegation zone, prompting an outcry among fans. The club were unable to avoid an immediate return to the Segunda Division but Lillo’s profile was raised significantly.

Spreading his wings

After nearly two-and-a-half decades of exclusively working in his native Spain, Lillo headed for Mexican side Dorados de Sinaloa in the mid-2000s. One of the players under his command was Guardiola, who was at the back end of his glittering playing career. Lillo has had the travelling bug ever since, having taken charge of sides in Colombia, Japan, China and Qatar, while he was understudy to Jorge Sampaoli with the Chile national team and is now into his second stint under Guardiola at City.

Kindred spirits with Guardiola

Lillo first moved to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2020, replacing the outgoing Mikel Arteta, after guiding Qingdao Huanghai to promotion to the top-tier Chinese Super League. He left ahead of City’s treble-winning campaign last season to take up a head coach role with Al Sadd but came back to City earlier this month. Director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “His vision is totally aligned with Pep’s. They both love this game and want their teams to produce high-quality, attacking football.”

Details, details, details

How highly Lillo is valued came to light before he was given a temporary promotion by City, with Guardiola expected to be back in the dugout in the middle of next month following the international break. Guardiola was effusive in his praise when Lillo returned to the north-west, drawing attention to his assiduous nature, saying: “Juanma sees things no-one else in the game sees. He understands football on an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work alongside. His preparation for matches is absolutely amazing. I know he will raise standards because he works so hard every single day.”

Pep Guardiola will be absent from the touchline for Manchester City’s next two matches after undergoing an operation to correct his “severe back pain”.

According to City, their treble-winning manager has been struggling with the injury for a while and flew out to Barcelona for an “emergency” but “routine” surgery on Tuesday.

Guardiola will remain in Barcelona during his convalescence and is expected to miss City’s matches against Sheffield United this Sunday and Fulham on September 2, with assistant manager Juanma Lillo stepping into the breach.

City anticipate Guardiola returning to the dugout after the international break for the visit to West Ham on September 16.

A Manchester City statement said: “Pep Guardiola has today undergone a routine operation on a back problem.

“The Manchester City boss has been suffering with severe back pain for some time lately, and flew out to Barcelona for emergency surgery performed by Dr Mireia Illueca. The surgery was a success, and Pep will now recover and rehabilitate in Barcelona.

“In his absence, assistant manager Juanma Lillo will oversee coaching of the first team on the training field and will assume duties on the touchline until Pep’s return.

“He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break. Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon.”

What the papers say

Manchester City and West Ham had come to an agreement in principle on a £85million transfer deal for midfielder Lucas Paqueta before the bid crumbled due to potential betting breaches, the Daily Mail reports.

Fulham’s pursuit of Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has become tougher as the Evening Standard says Everton and Nottingham Forest have joined the race for the 22-year-old.

Chelsea have agreed to a £14million deal for New England Revoultion’s 23-year-old goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, according to the Daily Mail.

The same publication says Mason Greenwood is set to look for offers from clubs in Turkey and Italy after he and Manchester United parted ways after an internal investigation.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jeremy Doku: Journalist Fabrizio Romano says Manchester City have agreed to personal terms with the Rennes winger, with the French club accepting a deal worth around £51million.

Dominic Solanke: Football Insider reports West Ham have entered a bid for the Bournemouth striker worth around £35million.

Pep Guardiola claims the hunger shown by his Manchester City players so far this season has amazed him.

After the draining end to the treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, there were fears City could be off the pace come the start of the new term.

Any drop in energy levels, however, seems to have been more than compensated for by a strong desire and focus, even after the loss of key players.

On Saturday, City followed up their European Super Cup triumph over Sevilla in Athens three days previously by beating Newcastle to maintain their winning start in the Premier League.

“We are who we are,” said City manager Guardiola. “(There are) a lot of young players on the bench and that’s the difference – the guys who want to be here are here. The difference is always here (heart) – at the top of our bodies.

“The people respond because they see still we are there and I like it. We won already one title and we are six points from six, we’ve scored goals we don’t concede many chances.

“When you see that after what we have done, what can you say? Apart from thank you my friends, I love you so much.

“When you have that it is because a team is so special. Otherwise we cannot do what we have done for many years, it’s impossible. Saturday amazed me and made me happy.”

City have lost influential playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to an injury that could sideline him for up to five months while John Stones and Bernardo Silva were also absent at the weekend.

With Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez having left over the summer, and Aymeric Laporte another possible departure, Guardiola’s squad is taking on a different shape.

Guardiola said: “Over the next one or two months the club have to take some important decisions with the squad. We didn’t expect (the situation) with Kevin and we didn’t expect with Riyad.”

Pep Guardiola hailed the impact of Phil Foden after champions Manchester City continued their winning Premier League start with a hard-fought victory over Newcastle.

Julian Alvarez scored the only goal of a tight game at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday but it was Foden who claimed most of the plaudits as City registered a club-record 17th successive home victory.

England midfielder Foden teed up Alvarez’s 31st-minute strike during a lively display in which he looked more than capable of filling the playmaking void created by injury to Kevin De Bruyne.

“I’ve said many times, Phil can play in all the positions up front,” said City manager Guardiola.

“He has an incredible ability between the lines. The way he turns and attacks the last lines – it is one of the best I have seen.

“Every control, he knows exactly what is the goal. He doesn’t need two or three touches to get in the right position to attack the goal. In just one touch he is attacking.

“Managers adapt skills to the players we have, or the problems we have right now. Phil, I know how good he is in that position, how good he is as a striker or left wing or wing. I am happy because I have the feeling he is coming back.

“Still we are not at our best, we still have to make a step, but that is completely normal in this type of period.

“Here the biggest difference is the team showed to me, and showed to the Premier League, we are ready to try it again.”

Coming off the back of their European Super Cup triumph in midweek, the treble winners were not at their most dynamic.

Yet with Foden at the heart of their attack, they repeatedly troubled Newcastle while successfully stifling the visitors’ threat.

The result punctured some of Newcastle’s buoyancy after a bright start to the season but manager Eddie Howe emphasised the positives.

Howe said: “They controlled it but you have to give them credit. They are a top team and that’s why they win so much.

“It’s disappointing not to get anything from the game but we’ll reflect and analyse and there’s so much to take from the game.

“We go into another one against Liverpool, which will be similar, and there’s lots to take into that match.”

Pep Guardiola hailed a mature performance from Manchester City as they claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday.

Julian Alvarez scored the only goal of a tight Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium in which the treble winners impressively stifled any threat from the visitors.

Newcastle had travelled in buoyant mood after their opening-day 5-1 defeat of Aston Villa last week, while City may have had reason to feel lethargic after their draining Super Cup outing against Sevilla in Athens on Wednesday.

Yet City played with a confidence and determination that overcame any fatigue and Guardiola, who made just two changes to his side and did not make any substitutions, was highly impressed.

Guardiola said: “This is the second game of the season but it is proof, the reason why we won a lot. The mindset and mentality of this group of players amazes me every time, surprises me every time.

“Against that team and the conditions we arrived, with a lot of injuries and no rest – they played really well. How they defended and how they ran and the commitment of everyone was absolutely amazing.

“We played really good, we deserved to win. We could have scored more goals.

“The difference of the winning teams is the mentality. This group of players, for many years, they have done it and today again.

“I know we are not in the best condition and have five or six important players out but it is what it is. This is the challenge. The Premier League decided to play today. OK, we accept the challenge.”

At one point during the game, Guardiola was spoken to by a fan who apparently had urged him to make a tactical change.

“He said to me ‘make a sub’,” The Spaniard said. “I said ‘come sit here and do it!’ I didn’t know which one (to make). It was a joke.

“The game was in a good tempo, a good rhythm. I didn’t see the players too tired. It wasn’t easy to make the changes so I didn’t do it.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was frustrated with the result but was positive enough about the performance, which he feels his side can build upon.

He said: “I think on tonight’s evidence there is stuff to improve. We’re a little bit disappointed overall because we know we can be better, but you have to be at your very best to get something here.

“I thought there were some good bits. We had moments we could hurt them but didn’t have our quality. The second half was much better.

“I was frustrated we didn’t create more. The last pass was missing and we had a couple of shots from range but nothing glaring and that’s the frustration.”

Julian Alvarez fired Manchester City to a hard-fought victory over Newcastle as the treble winners maintained their perfect start to the new Premier League season.

The World Cup-winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight encounter at the Etihad Stadium to secure a 1-0 win and three more points.

Eddie Howe’s men had travelled in hope after last weekend’s opening 5-1 drubbing of Aston Villa, but left empty-handed after the hosts summoned up commendable stamina in the wake of their midweek UEFA Super Cup triumph in Athens on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou oversaw a thrilling first win as Tottenham manager as Pape Sarr’s strike and a Lisandro Martinez own goal settled a pulsating clash with Manchester United.

Spurs, whose struggles in the second half of last season have been compounded by home-grown star Harry Kane’s recent switch to Bayern Munich, proved too good for a sub-par United on the day.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou’s influence has borne early fruit and his new-look side sealed a fine 2-0 win thanks to Sarr’s effort and a late Martinez own goal.

Liverpool survived Mo Salah’s penalty miss and Alexis Mac Allister’s red card to surge to a 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.

The Cherries took a third-minute lead through Antoine Semenyo, but Luis Diaz levelled before Salah converted the rebound after Neto had repelled his spot-kick.

Summer signing Mac Allister’s untimely departure had little impact as Diogo Jota secured the points.

Solly March’s double helped Brighton climb to the top of the table after the 3pm kick-offs following a fine 4-1 win at Wolves.

Goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan put the Seagulls in charge, and March struck twice before substitute Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the home side, who had Matheus Nunes sent off for a second bookable offence at the death.

Bryan Mbeumo also scored twice to help Brentford to an impressive 3-0 victory at Brentford.

Yoane Wissa opened the scoring and after defender Tim Ream had been dismissed for two yellow card offences, Mbeumo converted the resulting penalty before adding a second in stoppage time.

Julian Alvarez’s fine first-half strike handed Manchester City a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle in their first home match since winning the treble on Saturday.

The World Cup winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and it proved enough for the champions to claim all three points.

Newcastle, buoyed by thrashing Aston Villa 5-1 in their season opener last week, had travelled in hope of claiming their first league win at City for almost 23 years.

Yet the hosts, despite making just two changes following their draining European Super Cup venture in Athens in midweek, were too strong and successfully nullified Eddie Howe’s side.

Pep Guardiola’s men were far from their fluid best, but they produced a professional performance to follow up their opening win at Burnley and in Alvarez and Phil Foden they had the brightest players on the pitch.

Newcastle fought to the end but it ultimately proved a frustrating night for the visitors, who had five players booked.

City started slowly but began to step up the pressure midway through the first half and threatened for the first time when Manuel Akanji curled a long-range attempt over.

Alvarez then whipped in a low cross but failed to find Erling Haaland before Mateo Kovacic and Foden both had efforts blocked.

Foden grew into the game and was a lively presence, having stepped into the playmaking void left by long-term injury victim Kevin De Bruyne.

Foden was instrumental in City’s goal, finding space and darting into the area before pulling back for Alvarez.

The Argentinian then did the rest, picking his spot from the edge of the area and firing a shot beyond Nick Pope.

Foden threatened to seize control of the game and was crudely pushed over by Sandro Tonali after another dangerous run. He then slipped Haaland in on goal but the Norwegian’s low shot rolled narrowly wide of the far post.

Haaland was close again early in the second half, first after holding off Sven Botman to shoot at Pope and then mishitting another shot wide, again from a Foden pass.

City’s failure to kill off the game allowed Newcastle to come back into it in the closing stages.

Harvey Barnes was presented with a good chance after a rare misplaced pass by Rodri, but he shot straight at Ederson from distance.

Miguel Almiron also had a powerful effort blocked but City continually got numbers back and remained dangerous on the counter-attack.

Both Foden and Rodri led late raids from deep, but neither could set Haaland free for the goal that would have sealed it.

In the end, Alvarez’s strike was sufficient and City, who began the evening parading last season’s silverware, could celebrate a job well done.

Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City would be “killed” if they spent the sort of sums being coughed up by Chelsea over the last 12 months.

City’s spending has long been scrutinised since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008, with the club still facing 115 Premier League charges for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

But Guardiola insisted their approach had always been prudent, in contrast to that taken by Todd Boehly’s ownership group at Stamford Bridge, where the arrival of former City academy star Romeo Lavia this week had taken spending to nearly £1billion since the start of last summer.

City, who have signed Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in this window, could go back into the market with Kevin De Bruyne facing up to five months out and uncertainty over Cole Palmer’s future, but Guardiola said they would only pay fair prices.

“I couldn’t sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows – you would kill me,” Guardiola said. “You will kill me, that is for sure. We’d be under scrutiny like you couldn’t imagine.

“When people say just Manchester City and Pep Guardiola buy players, I didn’t know I had a lot of money in my pocket to buy all the players I have.

“We have to see what happens in the market and if we can do it and to pay what we believe is fair.

“We wanted (Harry) Maguire and didn’t buy him because we didn’t want to pay, we wanted (Marc) Cucurella and didn’t pay, we wanted Alexis Sanchez and didn’t pay.

“In the end we will pay what is fair to do it. Otherwise, we have the academy.”

Guardiola was adamant he was not criticising Chelsea, but the Catalan clearly feels a sense of double standards.

“They can do what they want,” he added. “I don’t criticise Chelsea for one second. I’m saying, if we do it, we are dead, all around the world. They can do whatever they want…

“If they want to spend, I don’t know, £900million since (Boehly) arrived, 900 more, 900 more. They have it. The business is the business. They sell a lot this season so they can do it.

“I don’t like when they criticise me, what we do, what I have to say. Everyone has their own business and everyone does what is best for the club.

“Everybody wins. Tell me the truth: are you enjoying a lot the transfer window? This player, the other one, every few minutes on Sky TV, a new player here, new player there. It’s so funny.”

This summer’s transfer window has been shaken up by the influx of cash from the ambitious Saudi Pro League, with City having sold Riyad Mahrez to Al-Ahli and accepted an offer from Al-Nassr for Aymeric Laporte.

“Everybody complains about Saudi Arabia, the clubs, then they open the door, red carpet, ‘What do you want my friend?'” Guardiola said. “They sell everything. They are so happy. Everyone complains but everyone opens the door.”

With De Bruyne set for surgery on a hamstring injury, Guardiola said he was speaking to director of football Txiki Begiristain about their options in the window.

“We maybe need to add someone else,” Guardiola said. “My opinion is I like a small squad. But the blow from Kevin changes the perspective. He is a very important player and it is not one or two weeks.

“It’s four or five months, he’s 32 years old and he needs to be physical because of the way he plays physically. So we have to reflect a bit on the squad and think about what we have to do but we have to control.

“But we are not the only ones spending a lot of money in the last few years.”

Cole Palmer would love to stay and play for Manchester City but the homegrown talent admits his future is up in the air as he wants regular football.

The 21-year-old has been with the club since Under-8s level and progressed through the academy ranks, going on to make his first-team debut in September 2020.

But Palmer has found opportunities limited due to the fierce competition at City and has been linked with a summer move on the back of his role in England Under-21s’ European Championship triumph.

The forward got the starts he craved in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup, scoring in both matches and being named man of the match for his role in the latter match.

Pep Guardiola praised Palmer after his performance in Wednesday’s Piraeus shoot-out triumph but offered no certainty on his City future beyond the fact he would not be sent out on loan.

“I have no idea (what the future holds),” Palmer said at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, where his looping header sealed a 1-1 draw that his side followed with a 5-4 spot-kick win.

“I just want to play football. So whatever the best decision is when we speak together, that is what I will do.

“Obviously the best scenario is to stay at City and play but obviously you know what the competition is like, if they bring someone in…”

Palmer puffed his cheeks out before continuing: “I don’t know. I just want to play regularly, like lots of minutes and stuff so we will see.”

He has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of West Ham, Burnley and Leicester, as well as ever-improving Brighton.

This certainly looks an important stage in the 21-year-old’s career, especially after a combination of injury and competition restricted him to just seven starts last term.

“This summer I was playing a lot and when we came back I was given the opportunity twice,” Palmer said.

“I have always been confident but it’s more rhythm, match sharpness and stuff like that. It really helps when you are playing consistently.

“Obviously it’s been a couple of good games for me, but I don’t know. I will have to see what the future holds.”

While Palmer ponders whether his future lies away from the Etihad Stadium, new signing Josko Gvardiol is just getting started. The 21-year-old joined City from RB Leipzig earlier this month for £77.6million and, having come off the bench to make his debut at Burnley on Friday, ended his first start with silverware.

“I’m feeling amazing,” Croatia defender Gvardiol said. “First game and first trophy, I couldn’t imagine a better start. I think it’s just the first of many.

“We are aware that we don’t have the opportunity to fight for this trophy every day. We had a chance and we took it.

“We know there is a reason they are in the final. They have to know our qualities. We deserved it. We can celebrate.”

City are likely to be active in the transfer market before the window closes and the PA news agency understands Boca Juniors’ Valentin Barco is among those of interest. The 19-year-old left-back came through the Buenos Aires giants’ youth system and is also said to be on Brighton’s radar.

Pep Guardiola is targeting the Club World Cup to complete the set after Manchester City overcame a sloppy start to beat Sevilla on spot-kicks to lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Two months on from becoming the second English club in history to win the treble, the Champions League holders faced the record Europa League winners in Greece.

Sevilla took the lead through Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering header and had numerous chances to extend their lead before City struck back through Cole Palmer’s looping header.

The Super Cup ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and Guardiola’s men triumphed on penalties 5-4 after Nemanja Gudelj smashed the last spot-kick of the shoot-out off the bar.

This was the first time City have won the competition and the Spaniard is determined to add the Club World Cup to their cabinet in December.

“Of course we are not in the best, best moment, I would say,” Guardiola said after winning his fourth Super Cup as a coach.

“But knowing a little bit the players and the mentality of the backroom staff, I had a feeling that we will try.

“We are really pleased to have already one title in this season. Really pleased for the club – this title we didn’t have and now we have it.

“We miss just one to finish all circle and be able for this club to win all the titles we can have. It’s happening in December, when we go to Saudi Arabia to play there, the (Club) World Cup.

“I would say really, really pleased. A tight game like happened in the (Champions League) final against Inter, a tight game that we lost in the last minute against Arsenal (in the Community Shield). Football in these stages, in that moment, in that period is a coin (flip).”

This was an energy-sapping night for City in hot and humid Piraeus, where the match kicked off at 10pm local time and finished in the early hours of Thursday morning.

It is a quick turnaround after a tough test, leading Guardiola to take a pop at the Premier League for scheduling their next match against Newcastle on Saturday evening.

“Of course tomorrow will be even more happier than today,” he said, with City due to fly back to the north west on Thursday.

“Recover, not one drop of alcohol today. Recover as much as possible because again, from Greece, thank you so much for the Premier League to let us play on Saturday. And not on Sunday and Monday. Thank you so much.”

The star man for City was player of the match Palmer, who followed his fine finish in the eventual Community Shield shoot-out loss to Arsenal by scoring a clever header in Greece.

The 21-year-old has been subject of speculation this summer and Guardiola ruled out a loan move for the home-grown talent.

“The opinion I had when he arrived is he wanted to leave, but now I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

“I don’t think a loan is going to happen. He’s going to stay or going to sell, but I think a loan is not going to happen.

“He has a character. It’s not easy to play against defenders like (Marcos) Acuna, for example, who is a top defender.

“It’s not easy, it’s a final. He’s a young player playing in these stages. It’s not easy for these guys. He played really, really good and made a fantastic goal, too.”

As for Sevilla, the shoot-out heartbreak represented a sixth successive Super Cup loss.

Head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar said: “To make a good plan against a team as good as City is very complicated. I really wish we’d played higher up the pitch and put them under more pressure.

“When we had the chances to score the second goal, we didn’t take them. But I really believe we played a good game, and we probably created more chances than them.”

Manchester City won their first silverware of the campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side survived a sloppy start to triumph on spot-kicks against Sevilla and lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal on penalties 10 days ago, last season’s swashbuckling treble winners initially wilted in the Greek heat versus the Europa League holders.

Youssef En-Nesyri put Sevilla ahead and City rode their luck, only to draw level through Cole Palmer’s looping header as their maiden Super Cup appearance ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and went to a shoot-out.

The first nine penalty takers all converted before Nemanja Gudelj smashed his effort off the crossbar, seeing Guardiola’s Champions League winners triumph 5-4 on spot-kicks in Piraeus.

The Spaniard became the first manager to win the Super Cup with three different teams and equalled Carlo Ancelotti’s record of four competition victories as coach.

City are the sixth English side to lift the trophy but were made to sweat by Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Sevilla, who went ahead through En-Nesyri’s powerful first-half header.

The LaLiga outfit could easily have grabbed a second during a strong start to the second period, only for man of the match Palmer to equalise with a header.

Sevilla survived a late City onslaught but could not avoid a sixth straight Super Cup defeat as the match passed midnight in Greece and went to penalties at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

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