• Premier League

Raheem Sterling bid talk, summer clearout played down by Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini shrugged off talk about bidding for Raheem Sterling as he insisted Manchester City will delay decisions about a summer clearout until the end of the season.

The City manager described the Liverpool forward as a potential £100 million player in an interview this week but was adamant that is not an indication Sterling is on his summer shopping list.

"The other day I said a name and an amount of money, not that we want him or that we are going to pay that amount of money," the Chilean said in a news conference.

City are expected to assess their squad as they contemplate whether to conduct an overhaul in the summer.

Raheem Sterling is not on Manchester City's shopping list, according to Manuel Pellegrini © Getty Images

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On-loan trio Alvaro Negredo, Micah Richards and Matija Nastasic are certain to go while, of the current squad, Stevan Jovetic is the likeliest to leave and Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov are among the others who have been tipped to be sold.

But Pellegrini said: "It is more important to focus on the present. I don't think it is the moment to talk about players that can come and go."

The 61-year-old's position could come under scrutiny unless City win the Premier League but Pellegrini is adamant that, despite losing four of his last five games, he is still loving life at the Etihad Stadium.

"Every day I enjoy it," he added. "If you cannot enjoy playing in the Champions League against Barcelona, fighting for title in the Premier League, being with this team, being in best league in world, if you don't enjoy it, you must see a doctor."

Pellegrini insisted he is unconcerned about suggestions he will be sacked and feels they are part of life at a major club.

"Every time during the season that one manager is not winning, the press say sack him," he explained. "This year was maybe sometimes with the Liverpool manager, after that with Arsenal manager, after that with me, with Manchester United manager.

"It is the same in Spain. [Carlo] Ancelotti won four trophies six months ago and everyone is talking that he cannot continue. It is part of the media. You must not be worried about that. You must accept it as a big team."

Pellegrini said the debate about his own position is not affecting the way he does his job.

"What happens in the future is for me exactly the same," he added. "Everyone can say what they want to say or what they think will happen. The most important thing for me is to work in the same way we are doing because I think we are doing well.

"I am not just talking about my work in less than two years. I think it was a very good year last year to win two titles.

"Maybe other people don't think how difficult it can be to do it because in England we have very strong teams in every year. It is not easy to make a double. This year all of us want to win the title every year, I don't think it is possible to do it but I think it is possible to fight to the end."

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