Pep Guardiola has reiterated that Raheem Sterling will not be leaving Manchester City for Arsenal in the winter transfer window.

Arsenal have been linked with Sterling ever since they asked for him in exchange for Alexis Sanchez during the summer transfer window. Guardiola, though, has been clear that “Raz” won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

“Raz is staying here,” he said, reports The Sun. “The club trust him and that is why we have invested a lot of money in him. If players want to leave they are going to leave, but he wants to stay. Players who want to leave have to ask the chairman – but there is no chance of that, he is going nowhere.”

His latest comments come off the back of City’s 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Sterling started and scored twice, continuing his fine goalscoring start to the season. There were doubts about Sterling’s place in the City starting line-up as Guardiola shifted his team around to fit in Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.

However, so far at least, he’s been happy to rotate his options and give Sterling minutes. Of course, that could change if the Sky Blues end up signing Alexis, either in January or next summer. With another attacker to fit in somewhere, someone in that City squad would have to leave, whether it’s Sterling or another one of their attackers, I feel.

Sterling has scored five goals already this season, having scored 10 in the previous campaign. With the way City have been playing, the English international should end up having the highest scoring season of his career.