Manchester City want to tie Raheem Sterling down to a new long-term contract but manager Pep Guardiola concedes he is unsure over whether the England international will agree terms.
Gabriel Jesus became the latest of City s key players to commit his future to the Premier League champions on Friday, penning a renewed deal through until June 2023.
During their triumphant campaign last season, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Fernandinho, Nicolas Otamendi and Ederson all signed fresh terms.
Sterling is yet to join that quintet despite scoring 23 goals in all competitions in 2017-18 for City, although talks have taken place with the 23-year-old s representatives as he enters the penultimate season of his current contract.
The 23-year-old will not feature against Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, having been granted extended leave after starting all seven of England s World Cup games.
Guardiola remains emphatic over Sterling s continued importance at City, despite the close-season arrival of club-record signing Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City.
There is no doubt we want him, he said. He knows, his agent knows. We want him. Txiki [Begiristain, City s director of football] spoke with him.
It is clear since the first day I arrived we want him. But the deals are the deals, the agents are the agents and the players are the players.
At the end I don t know what is going to happen but I assure you, 100 per cent, the club, myself as a manager, the sporting director and his team-mates, we want him to stay here.
