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Manchester City icon Pablo Zabaleta has dismissed suggestions that Pep Guardiola could leave the club as Barcelona reportedly chase him.

Guardiola signed a new deal at the Etihad earlier this year, but that has not stopped speculation about his future in recent weeks.

Most of that speculation is emanating from Spain, where it has been widely reported the former defensive midfielder tops the list of candidates to replace Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.

The Dutchman is seemingly on thin ice at the Nou Camp, with president Joan Laporta never having been a fan and considering a change.

Should that happen, it’s believed he is keen to bring the Manchester City coach back to the club to revive the glory days they enjoyed under his leadership.

That would be a particularly difficult deal to do for many reasons, and Zabaleta thinks one of them is that Guardiola wouldn’t want to leave Manchester City for the Nou Camp.

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“Football is very changeable, notice that now Conte is leaving Inter and Zidane from Madrid, but I think he is very happy in Manchester,” he told COPE.

“It is the club where he has been the longest; he has people around him to make him feel comfortable and the total support from the owner to always put together an ambitious and competitive project.

“He renewed is because he feels happy and happy and because he is doing a great job.

“He is one of the most responsible (for their success); he came to give the club a leap in quality, the club itself gave him all the necessary tools to have a competitive team.

“Getting to play a European title is the meaning of a great job. When he arrived in 2016, it was the goal, and I’m sure everyone will be very happy with what Pep is doing at the club.”

And if all of that wasn’t enough to make you believe Guardiola isn’t going anywhere, the manager said so himself to Movistar+ that ‘win or lose’, he was staying at the Etihad.

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