Pep Guardiola: 'Arsenal wanted to sign Raheem Sterling'

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Arsenal wanted Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling as part of a deal which would have seen Alexis Sanchez go the other way.

The Chile international has long been rumoured to be seeking a way out of the Emirates Stadium, and on deadline day, it appeared that he was on the verge of becoming a Citizen.

However, the deal ultimately did not go through, leaving Sanchez still on the books of Arsenal and Sterling still at City until January at least.

Guardiola told reporters on Friday: "When we started to speak with Arsenal in the last days, they wanted to make a swap with Raz.

"They talked to me and I said 'no chance. zero chance. Not one per cent chance we will swap Raz because I trust a lot in him'. Twenty-two years old, English player, there is a lot of room to improve.

"The only deal we would do was cash. In the end Alexis stayed in Arsenal. I don't know what will happen in the winter. Sometimes deals work, sometimes not."

Man City host Sterling's former side Liverpool in the Premier League this Saturday.