Pep Guardiola Talks Brahim Diaz's Future Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola talked about Brahim Diaz's future on Saturday amid speculation the 19-year-old will sign for Real Madrid in the January transfer window.

Guardiola said there have been talks concerning the teenager, but the manager remains unsure if Diaz will stay at the club, according to Sky Sports: "I don't have any new information on that. I know they are in conversation, but I don't have any new information about the situation. Today [Saturday] he trained with us. I was clear last week when I spoke about it. We do everything to keep them [the young players] but they decide."

Diaz is out of contract at Manchester City in the summer and has grown frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities, according to James Ducker at The Telegraph. The Premier League champions are close to finalising a deal for the youngster worth £15 million with Real Madrid, per the report.

The teenager has been at Manchester City since 2016 but hasn't started a Premier League game for the Citizens. His only appearances for the club this season have come in the League Cup, where he has made an impact:

Guardiola said in November that Manchester City would do "absolutely everything" to keep hold of Diaz, per BBC Sport. Yet the strength in depth of Manchester City's squad makes it difficult for youngsters to break into the first team.

The loss of another talented young player may concern City. They saw Jadon Sancho depart for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, and he is making a big impact in the Bundesliga:

Yet Diaz's desire to leave Manchester City in search of regular football is understandable. He's an exciting, versatile attacking talent who can play on either flank or through the middle.

He will also find competition for places fierce if he does complete a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Manager Santiago Solari has attacking talent such as Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez, Isco, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio in his squad.

However, Isco was linked with a January move away from Real Madrid after he struggled for game time under Solari, and Juventus could bid, according to Tuttosport (h/t Jaime Candil at AS).