De Bruyne wants new City deal

Kevin De Bruyne expects contract talks with Manchester City to take place soon but is relaxed over his future at the club as he revels in a senior role under Pep Guardiola.

De Bruyne has started the season in superb form for the Premier League leaders, starring in midfield as the fulcrum of some brilliant attacking play.

The Belgium international was again to the fore in Saturday's 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace and revealed City made preliminary contact with his representative Patrick de Koster during the recent transfer window over the prospect of renewing his terms at the Etihad Stadium, even though the 26-year-old's deal has four years left to run.

"There has not really been a conversation," he told reporters. "We both waited until the transfer window was over. They have spoken with Patrick in the summer and said give us time to make the transfers and we speak after the summer.

"That will soon happen, I think. I'm not thinking it has to happen fast. I have a four-year contract.

"Whether I'm four, five or six years under contract, that does not change much, but it's nice the club have so much confidence in me."

De Bruyne has impressed in a slightly deeper playmaking role under Guardiola, with his excellent range of passing to the fore, and the former Chelsea and Wolfsburg man is one of five first-teamers on a players' council at City, alongside club captain Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, David Silva and top scorer Sergio Aguero.

He wore the captain's armband during the closing stages of the 4-0 win over Feyenoord earlier this month and added: "That shows that I'm on the right track and I'm one of the leaders of the team. I know I'm one of the five on the players' council.

Very proud to have captained this team yesterday, brilliant win! pic.twitter.com/u5z6rFduEe

— Kevin De Bruyne (@DeBruyneKev) September 14, 2017

"For me, it was also nice to be seen as one of the more adult [players] in the group. That's fun. That does not often happen. I'm the youngest of the five. We shall see [about the captaincy].

"I am very happy at City. Everything is going well for me. I have no reason to go anywhere else. The project City have is superb, so it's best for me."

Another in-form member of Guardiola's squad seemingly going nowhere is Raheem Sterling.

The England winger took his Premier League tally for five to the campaign with a brace against Palace and his manager was quick to discourage Arsenal from considering a January bid.

Sterling was briefly touted as a makeweight in any deal for Alexis Sanchez to move to Manchester ahead of last month's transfer deadline but, now as then, Guardiola told reporters the 22-year-old leaving City is not on the agenda.

5 - Raheem Sterling has scored five goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as he'd scored in his previous 31. Form. pic.twitter.com/gEjLwh2ZNp

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 23, 2017

"Raz is staying here," he said. "The club trust him - that is why we have invested a lot of money in him.

"The players we have are going to stay. If they want to leave they are going to leave, but he wants to stay.

"If players want to leave they have to ask the chairman, but there is no chance of that, he is going nowhere."