Raheem Sterling is waiting to see whether Pep Guardiola commits to the club before signing a new contract at Manchester City.
The England international’s current deal at the Etihad Stadium runs until summer 2023, but City are keen to tie him down for even longer.
Although it is only 12 months since the forward signed his most recent extension, the Premier League champions are prepared to offer Sterling fresh terms which would elevate his wages to £450,000 per week.
But according to The Sun, the former Liverpool man wants Guardiola to extend his tenure before he puts pen to paper on a new deal.
Sterling has made remarkable progress since the Catalan took charge at City in 2016, and is now widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.
And the 24-year-old appears to value Guardiola so highly that he is unwilling to commit to City until his manager’s future is resolved.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach is under contract at the Etihad until summer 2021.
However, there have been rumours that he could walk away at the end of the current campaign after four seasons at the helm.
Guardiola has never begun a fifth year in charge of the same club, fuelling speculation that he could be set for an early exit.
And even if he does remain in place until 2021, the 48-year-old is unlikely to sign another deal at City.
That could prove significant for Sterling’s contract negotiations, particularly as Real Madrid are thought to be interested in prising the winger away from Manchester.
City came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 on Saturday, keeping the champions nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Guardiola’s side will qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League if they avoid defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.