Manchester City have ruled out the possibility of hiring Jose Mourinho as Roberto Mancini's successor, according to a report.

Senior figures at the club have insisted that bringing the Real Madrid boss to the Etihad Stadium is out of the question, even if Mancini is sacked this summer, The Mirror reports.

The Italian has allegedly been told that he must retain the Premier League title to keep his job after City failed to progress to the knockout phase of the Champions League.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain declined to hire Mourinho during their tenure at Barcelona, expressing reservations about his aggressive attitude.

The pair are said to still view the Real boss in the same light and do not consider him to be a potential successor to Mancini.

Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has been tipped as a more suitable replacement for the Italian should he be ousted from the City hotseat at the end of the season.