Pep Guardiola Wants to Keep Gabriel Jesus for 'As Long as Possible'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Monday he wants to keep striker Gabriel Jesus at the club for "as long as possible."

Guardiola spoke to reporters about the 22-year-old's role at the club alongside fellow striker Sergio Aguero and how he has a bright future ahead of him for club and country:

"The situation he has with Sergio, he knew that before he extended the contract. My advice to him and we told him 'if you are not sure about that position, you don't have to extend the contract, you can go other places'.

"He said 'no, I want to stay here'. He has his future is in his hands. He's young, he's going to play for many years, he's the No.9 for Brazil with [Roberto] Firmino.

"I think they are incredibly complementary. Of course, Sergio will retire sooner than Gabriel and I hope he will stay longer, but, at the end, the desire for the players will decide. We'll do everything to keep him here as long as possible."

The Brazil international moved to the Etihad Stadium from Palmeiras in 2017 but has had to play second fiddle to Aguero during his time with the Premier League club.

WhoScored.com compared how the two strikers have fared this season in the top flight:

Aguero has once again been a key man for Manchester City and has 13 goals in 16 appearances all competitions for the Premier League champions this season, while Jesus has managed just five goals in the same number of outings for the Citizens.

Jesus has said he has learned a lot from his team-mate:

The Brazilian now has the chance to impress in the first team, as Guardiola has ruled the 31-year-old Aguero out for several weeks with a thigh injury, per BBC Sport.

Jesus is now expected to lead the line in some important fixtures. Manchester City play Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and also face Manchester United in the Premier League on December 7.

There will be pressure on Jesus to deliver goals in Aguero's absence. Guardiola will be hoping he can help them remain top of Group C and improve upon their third-place standing in the league table.