Manchester City round-up: £14million price-tag for midfielder; Guardiola reacts to Madrid win; Mendy injury blow

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is holding out for close to £14million for want-away England midfielder Fabian Delph according to reports in The Sun today.

The Telegraph had claimed at the beginning of July that fellow top-flight side Stoke City had submitted an official £12 million bid for the England man, acting quick to try and see off West Brom’s challenge.

But nothing materialised from this initial bid and, despite being told that he’s deemed surplus to requirements in Manchester next season, City are still reluctant to let the 27-year-old go cheaply.

An unnamed source close to the Etihad said: “The club want a decent fee for Fabian, even though he’s not in Pep’s plans and can leave.

“One bid has already been turned down but we expect them to come back with other offers soon.

“We are taking a tougher stance on him as he earns £80,000-a-week, something well within the capabilities of other clubs. Stoke would be perfect for him as it’s close to everything he knows.”

Delph has struggled to stake a claim for a first-team spot in recent seasons, missing the majority of last year through injury, and as such he only managed to make seven Premier League appearances.

Aside from the rumour mill, Guardiola has come out and praised his side after their ‘confidence-boosting’ 4-1 dismantling of European and Spanish champions Real Madrid in Los Angeles last night.

After a fairly even first-half, goals from Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling, John Stones and teenager Brahim Diaz proved enough to comfortably see off an experimental Los Blancos outfit.

Speaking post-match, the Manchester Evening News quotes the Spaniard as saying: “It is pre-season so like against Manchester United, when we lost, we made some good things.

“But you gain confidence playing at this intensity and at this level. I’m not talking about winning or losing, the dream is to be more stable. In those terms the result is nothing important. The way we try to fight, to play is most important to our future.”

City now face one final test on their pre-season tour of the United States against fellow Premier League side Tottenham before they travel to Iceland for a final match-up with West Ham United.

Finally, Manchester City received a blow last night as most recent signing Benjamin Mendy looks set to miss the beginning of the new Premier League season due to a minor thigh problem.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the 22-year-old – who joined the club last week in a record £52 million switch from Monaco – has picked up a strain that could see him miss up to three weeks.

That would rule him out of the running for selection for City’s opening day clash against newly-promoted Brighton on August 12, paving the way for fellow arrival Danilo to make his top-flight debut.