Pep Guardiola has denied having a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

The Spaniard signed a contract last year keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2021, but reports had suggested that the deal included an option allowing Guardiola to depart 12 months early.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal, Guardiola said: “No. It is not true. I spoke a few weeks ago about my intentions with the club.”

Manchester City Training and Press Conference – City Football Academy
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken about his future with the club (Martin Rickett, PA)

Speculation regarding Guardiola’s future has surfaced with the defending Premier League champions trailing leaders Liverpool by 14 points.

However, the City manager reiterated that he will not be recruiting during the January transfer window.

“The players we started the season with we are going to finish with,” he said. “We will look in the summer.”

Guardiola revealed that Sergio Aguero and John Stones are unlikely to feature on Sunday because of injury, with David Silva also doubtful.

He added: “(Stones) has a muscular injury, I don’t know how long. (Aguero) still hasn’t trained with the team.

“(Silva) couldn’t train yesterday or today but tomorrow we will see. It was a kick in the leg that was painful.”