Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he hopes winger Savinho will remain at the Etihad Stadium for โ€œmany years,โ€ but admitted he will not stand in the way of any player determined to leave.

The 21-year-old Brazilian, who made 48 appearances in his debut season last term, has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, where new boss Thomas Frank is seeking attacking reinforcements following Son Heung-minโ€™s departure and James Maddisonโ€™s long-term injury.

Ahead of Cityโ€™s Premier League opener away to Wolves on Saturday, Guardiola confirmed neither Savinho nor goalkeeper Ederson, linked with Turkish giants Galatasaray, had expressed a desire to quit.

โ€œIf they want to leave, they will come to me. If they want to leave, they will knock on my door,โ€ Guardiola told reporters.

While stressing his desire to keep Savinho, Guardiola stopped short of ruling out a transfer:โ€œTottenham or any other club who wants a player should call the club. I hope Savinho stays many, many years because of his potential, but in the end the desire of the player is above everything.โ€

Guardiola revealed Savinho faces โ€œa few weeksโ€ on the sidelines after picking up an injury in pre-season. Meanwhile, midfielder Rodri, who missed most of last season with a knee problem, is expected to travel to Wolves, though the manager warned his return must be carefully managed.

Cityโ€™s boss has also been trimming his squad, allowing Jack Grealish to join Everton after a difficult two seasons, and confirming James McAtee is close to sealing a move to Nottingham Forest.

โ€œI wish Jack all the best at a traditional club like Evertonโ€ฆ I would love to have Macca but I have too many players,โ€ Guardiola said.


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