David Silva

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is hopeful that David Silva will commit his future to the club on a new long-term deal. The 31-year-old has played a pivotal role for the Citizens in the early part of the campaign, where they remain unbeaten in all competitions.

Silva is one of the City's longest-serving players having joined from Valencia back in the summer of 2009, and Guardiola has stressed the need to prolong the Spaniard's stay at the Etihad. In a report covered by Sky Sports, the City manager spoke about the midfielder's influence on his fellow teammates, while suggesting any deal is down to City director of football Txiki Begiristain.

He said, "We would like for him to stay until he decides, okay, it's over. There are no doubts about David. I think he has recognition all around the world for how good he is. His team-mates give him a lot of credit about his quality, like the fans and the media. He's a special player; a player I like a lot. He's intelligent, he's a fighter, he's a competitor, he's a winner, he's a guy who has the quality to keep the ball, to play. He's such an important player for us."

Manchester City spent £43m to pursue Bernardo Silva from AS Monaco earlier in the summer, but Guardiola has insisted that the Portuguese's arrival has nothing to do with Silva's future at the Etihad. Silva has previously revealed his ambition to finish his professional career in Gran Canaria, and he could yet turn down a fresh City deal in order to join local club Las Palmas in the future.

Nevertheless, City have plenty of time to ponder about Silva's situation with Guardiola's current aim being to keep Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings. The Citizens presently hold a five-point lead over fierce rivals Manchester United at the top of the table.