Pep Guardiola confirms "the most requested" player stays despite exit links

Pep Guardiola has confirmed Liam Delap is going to stay at Manchester City this season even if the club succeeds in signing a new striker. The 18-year-old, who has just signed a new long-term deal with the Premier League champions, has been heavily linked with the move to a number of Championship clubs. Delap's future at the club was uncertain amid City links with Tottenham star Harry Kane. However, speaking about the teenager's possible exit, Guardiola said: "He's going to train with us if a striker comes or doesn't come," he said. "He's going to train with us all the season. "Him and Cole Palmer, [James] McAtee, [Luke] Mbete, Romeo Lavia. There are five or six players who will be with us the whole season, the same way we have done with Tommy Doyle - who is looking forward to being on loan - like Phil [Foden] when he arrived and started to play with us, he played with the second team then played with us. "It's the best way to help their development because the problem in the academies today here in England, the distance between the first team competition in the Premier League and the competition they play is too big. It's really big and it's difficult to promote them from here. That's the best way with the players we believe have potential - like Sam Edozie, another guy - those guys are going to be with us." Then he added: "It was a pity because he arrived in pre-season and the first day he was injured, and he has been injured so far, he's still injured. He could not train one training [session] with us and the three friendly games we played against Barnsley, against the other teams he was injured." "It was a good opportunity to see him but we know him quite well. He's an exceptional striker. "Many teams want him, maybe he's the most requested player we have had since we arrived but we count on him, he's going to train with us and it depends what's going to happen this season, if he has minutes or maybe we decide on another option. But right now, Liam has to recover from his injury, still not play but after start to the train with us."

Source: MEN

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