Pep not sure Yaya would renew contract..

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ducked questions about whether the club will offer midfield linchpin Yaya Toure a new contract at the end of the season, despite describing the Ivoirian as an exceptional player.

The 33-year-old, whose current contract expires at the end of the season, has had a rollercoaster year with Guardiola since the later arrived in the summer, and both are hardly seen as close.

Largely considered City's most influential player since he was sold to the club in 2010 by Guardiola - while both were at Barcelona, Yaya was not only shunned by the Spaniard at the start of the season, but was shockingly excluded from the UEFA Champions League squad.

The four-time African Player of the Year was then banned from the first team when his agent Dmitri Seluk questioned what he saw as Guardiola's humiliation of his player and club legend.

Yaya has since been reinstated in the side and has posted some powerful performances. He was especially good on Sunday when City came from a goal down to beat title rivals Arsenal 1:2 in the league, prompting questions about whether he will be offered a new deal.

I have no answer to that question, Guardiola replied.

I know he finishes his contract. Now we have time to discuss that.

What I am impressed by most is his huge quality. He looks like a boy. He played awesome. It is not in terms of when he has the ball but the personality.

Yaya plays at that level because he is fit and focused. He is an exceptional player.

Guardiola turns to 'quality' Yaya

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is set to turn to Ivoirian midfield star Yaya Toure, following the long-term injury to Germany ace Ilkay Gundogan.

Yaya has been left out of a majority of the English Premier League club's games this season by Guardiola largely due to a rift with the 33-year-old's agent Dimitri Seluk. However since his return to the side, the four-time African Player of the Year has been impressive.

He is expected to play a key role against London giants Arsenal on Sunday, after Guardiola, speaking at the pre-match conference on Friday, pointed out that the team is better with him playing.

You know the reason why Toure was out in the first part, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager said.

Now he is playing like he can be, like I met him at Barcelona. He is a player with quality. There is no doubt about his quality.

When his physical condition is right, he can do everything. When he came back, the three games he played we won with him.

We decided to stay with Yaya. Since he came back he has helped us a lot. The moment he came back he was part of the team.

We have other options too. We have him, Fernando, we have Aleix (Garcia), Kevin (De Bruyne) can play in that position too. Fernandinho is coming back.

Manchester City manager PEP GUARDIOLA has told Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho to play more like Barcelona Superstar Lionel Messi

Manchester City manager PEP GUARDIOLA has told Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho to play more like Barcelona Superstar Lionel Messi and has got the young star studying videos of the Argentine captain as well as Bayern Forward Robert Lewandowski

The Spanish tactician worked with a 21 year old Messi at Barcelona where he scored 211 goals in 4 years under Pep and with Lewandowski at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and believes studying their styles closely will help the 20-year-old Iheanacho who is tipped for big things at City improve his own striking skills

“Of course he tells me about them, that I should really watch them and see what they are doing and make sure I am improving on what I am not doing.” Iheanacho told the Mirror

“I watch all of their games. They are great players and I need to watch them to improve. They have great qualities and you need to see what they are doing. Everyone’s quality is different but you have to take some things they are doing and put it in your game and work on it.”

“They are great strikers, big stars so you need to see how you can improve your game, to work in training.

“They both have great qualities and they have a lot of different abilities.

“It’s important of course that you be yourself, you are your own player, you have your own style but of course you need to see what they are doing too.

“You are not going to be the same as them, everyone’s quality is different so you are going to stick to your quality and take some things they are doing and put it into your game and keep working hard.”

The Nigerian International has scored five goals in 15 appearances for city this season and is currently filling the gap left by the suspended Sergio Aguero and could be in line to as City’s lone forward against Arsenal today

He has already scored twice in the Champions League, a winner in a Manchester derby and the goal that secured City fourth place last season and averages a goal every 100 minutes in the Premier League

“Sergio’s absence is a good opportunity for me to get in and fill the gap now he is not around so I have to work hard and fill the space and help the team get the points they need.” The Nigerian added.