Pep Guardiola joked Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will have to call him directly if he is interested in taking Kevin De Bruyne to the Bernabeu.
De Bruyne and his Manchester City teammates will come face to face with Madrid later this month when the Champions League knockout phase gets underway, with the last-16 first leg taking place in Spain on February 26 before the return leg at the Etihad on March 17.
During an interview with Spanish YouTube channel Post United, Guardiola was asked about the possibility of De Bruyne moving to Madrid and joked: "Could De Bruyne play in Madrid? Florentino will have to call me."
Guardiola has failed to get beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League in each of his three previous seasons in charge of City and has not reached the final of the competition since he won it as Barcelona manager in 2011.
Ahead of the two-legged tie with Madrid, Guardiola has attempted to reduce the pressure on his side by saying it will not be the end of the world if City don't win the competition this season.
"City was a club that for a decade wanted to just stay in the Premier League but then suddenly, they were bought and they took a leap forward and won four leagues in a decade," Guardiola added.
"The only thing they don't have is a Champions League and it's normal that people ask for it. It's good that they ask for it. I will try, and if not this year then next year... the world won't end if you don't win it."
