Manchester City Reportedly Intent on Brahim Diaz Stay Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Manchester City will reportedly do all they can to prevent Brahim Diaz from leaving the club amid links to European champions Real Madrid.

According to James Robson of the Evening Standard, while City want Diaz to stick around, the fact he is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium means the 19-year-old has triggered some interest from clubs across the continent, including Los Blancos.

There is a fear City may find themselves in a similar situation as they were with Jadon Sancho, who left the club for Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Diaz is said to be held in similar esteem to the England youth international.

"He was considered among a clutch of emerging players at City—along with Phil Foden and Sancho—as being capable of making the breakthrough from the club's state of the art academy to Pep Guardiola's first team," Robson said. "City reluctantly had to accept Sancho’s departure to Borussia Dortmund last summer, despite repeated attempts to tie him down to a long-term deal—and are aware of the potential of a repeat scenario."

Per Scouted Football, some of the English game's best young players have moved abroad recently in an attempt to further their careers, though Reiss Nelson only left Arsenal on loan:

According to Robson, City see the fact that Diaz declined the chance to go out on loan as a positive point in regard to his long-term future, while he's also reportedly told Guardiola he sees himself at the Etihad.

While Diaz's determination to stay and fight for his place at City may be worth praise, the youngster will surely find it tough to get minutes ahead of some of the world-class players Guardiola has at his disposal.

Diaz faces an issue a number of rising stars have at City. While they may be bristling with potential, only special young players will be able to force their way into the setup.

Per City Watch, the Premier League champions have some excellent prospects on their books:

Diaz made his top-flight debut for City last season, coming off the bench in a total of five Premier League matches and playing 50 minutes. While he featured heavily in pre-season, the Spain youth international has yet to turn out for the team this term.

While Diaz is still in the early stages of his career, he will be itching to get some competitive football under his belt. When he has taken to the field, he's impressed with his intelligence, technical ability and inventiveness in the final third.

If he continues to be on the fringes up until January, Diaz has some big decisions to make regarding his future come the next transfer window.