Pep Guardiola has challenged Kevin De Bruyne to lead Manchester City into a new era, with the club increasingly confident he will stay regardless of their Champions League ban.
It is understood De Bruyne does not intend to push for a move at the end of the season despite previously claiming he would consider his future if the club's appeal against a two-year Uefa suspension was rejected.
City will find out at 9.30am BST on Monday morning (July 13) whether they have been successful in appealing against the sanction handed down for “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play (FFP).
Guardiola is convinced his side will be in next season’s Champions League and is already planning for the future. De Bruyne is key to that – and the leading candidate to succeed the departing David Silva as club captain.
Guardiola said: “It depends on him. The leaders decide for themselves in their behaviour and how they behave on and off the pitch.
“It’s the relation to the team, how you think for the club. It comes naturally, without force.
“If it must come, it will come. It depends on him, it depends on especially his mates, if the other ones trust in him, in Kevin.”
De Bruyne cast doubt over his future in May when discussing the Champions League ban.
“I’m just waiting,” he told HLN. “The club has told us that they are going to appeal and that they are almost one hundred per cent sure that they are right.
“That’s why I’m waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team. Once the statement is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, in the case of one year I might see.”
In Pictures | Man City vs Newcastle | 08/07/2020
Guardiola is adamant he has seen the evidence which proves City’s innocence and was presented to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month.
On the day of the draw for the remaining stages of this season’s Champions League, the Catalan made it clear he is planning to be in the competition beyond this season.
He said: “The intention is every season to play in the Champions League as best as possible. It’s not about Monday. On Monday I’m so confident because I know and hear the arguments of the club.
“Next season we will be there and after (the ruling) I will give my opinion and the club will give a statement.”
City hold a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid in their last-16 tie.
If successful, they could face Juventus in the quarter-final and Barcelona in the semis. But Guardiola is refusing to look beyond Real, who he describes as the “kings” of Europe.
“We play against Real Madrid,” he said. “If we think about the next step, the king of this competition, Real Madrid, will put us out.
“In this club, there is not one person who knows Real Madrid better than me. Their potential and history and we have to play this game."
City’s cause won’t be helped by Sergio Aguero’s absence, with Guardiola also confirming the Argentine will not recover from knee surgery in time to take part in the game next month.
“I saw the draw maybe two or three hours after it was made," Guardiola said. "I’ve got Brighton and continue to prepare for Arsenal (in the FA Cup).
“After that we have two games and a potential final to prepare for Real Madrid. That’s all I have in my mind.
Real Madrid vs Man City | 26/02/2020
“To achieve what they have achieved in this competition, they’ve faltered a little more in LaLiga in the last decade, but in the Champions League, what they have done is incredible.
“No one has done it, we can see and we all know how difficult it is to win three Champions Leagues in a row. It’s how they handle the good moments. When play good they win, when they don’t play good they get results.
“You cannot win the Champions League winning all the games at a high, high level. They know the competition, they know exactly the way they have to play these games, because they’ve been there many, many times.”
But Guardiola believes his players are ready to finally conquer Europe.
“I feel the motivation and I think the team is there,” he said. “I have the feeling that my players in the club and the organisation that we have in the next four weeks something that is not coming back again.
“I think the big clubs don’t miss these chances to try until the last effort they have in their bodies.
“All of us want to try, to be ourselves in the game against Real Madrid, to try to defend really well and suffer the bad moments and try to impose our game and our football, try to score our goals and defend the game against Real Madrid.”