Manchester City sources insist they are not interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard amid the latest debate on Phil Foden's future.
Pep Guardiola apologised again for not playing the England prospect more often and the debate has already restarted ahead of the latest international fixtures over what is best for the teenager's progression.
City's coach has been blunt that Foden must compete with David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan for minutes - four proven world-class players - but stressed that he is still very young and the club see him as a natural successor to Silva when the Spaniard leaves at the end of the season.
Guardiola has brought a number of top attacking talent to the Etihad in the last three years and the Blues have been linked with a move for the 20-year-old Norwegian.
Odegaard has impressed on loan with Real Sociedad in La Liga this season having failed to make an impact at Real Madrid since he was signed as a teen sensation in 2015.
However, sources at City have indicated that the manager is not planning on strengthening in that area with Foden still primed to step up when Silva moves on.
Speaking after his first Champions League goal on Tuesday night, coming off the bench against Dinamo Zagreb, the City midfielder stressed the importance of patience.
"I try to enjoy every time I play," he said. "I think it's just about playing well, there are great players in front of me, I just think it's a matter of keep being patient and improving every day.”
