Guardiola Asks Eric Garcia Not To Move To His Childhood Club Barcelona

JAKARTA - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes defender Eric Garcia will extend his contract after the 19-year-old played a big role in the 3-1 win over Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday local time.

Spain international Garcia is in the final year of his contract at City and has been linked with a move to his boyhood club Barcelona, but Guardiola is keen to keep him in Manchester.

"I know he wants to leave, but he will stay and maybe we can seduce him to extend his contract with us," Guardiola told reporters as quoted by Antara on Thursday.

"He is a very stable player in many ways and we are very happy."

Meanwhile, Manchester City regular center-back Aymeric Laporte is reportedly set to start training after suffering a previous injury, while fellow defender Nathan Ake is currently undergoing treatment for a groin injury.

Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho, who joined the defense last season, will also be out for the next six weeks after suffering a leg injury against Porto.

City then head to West Ham United for the Premier League campaign on Saturday before traveling to Marseille for the Champions League and Guardiola said he needed it all.

"The schedule is very tight. We need a lot of players," added Guardiola.