Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini plays down Guardiola rumours

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he is not concerned by reports linking Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola with his job.

Guardiola pulled out of a pre-match news conference on Friday amid fresh newspaper claims he will move to City with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

"It's a rumour we've had the last two-and-a-half seasons," said Pellegrini, appointed by City in June 2013, when asked about the speculation.

"I don't have a problem with that."

Reports have claimed that Guardiola, 44, has agreed to leave Bayern at the end of the season to take over at City.

Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said that an announcement regarding the former Barcelona boss' future would be made before the end of the year.

In addition, it has been reported that Messi's agents have had initial discussions about a deal with City that would see the 28-year-old join on a weekly wage of £800,000.

Bayern stated private reasons were behind Guardiola's decision not to attend the news conference ahead of Saturday's home game with Hertha Berlin.

The German champions are eight points clear the top of the Bundesliga after 13 games.

Rummenigge said the club would not fall apart if Guardiola left.

"Things always move on," Rummenigge said.

"There is no person in the world who becomes irreplaceable at some stage.

"Players come, players go. The same goes for the coach - they come and they go too sooner or later."