Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly stepped in to ensure that Raheem Sterling committed his future to the club.

Sterling put pen to paper on a new long-term deal worth a rumoured £300,000 a week on Friday, keeping him tied down at the Etihad Stadium until 2023.

Before agreeing to the fresh terms, however, the England international hit a stalemate in talks and was linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.

The Mirror reports that the impasse was broken when Guardiola urged City to make the deal happen, with the Catalan coach informing Citizens chiefs that he could not afford to lose the winger.

All transfer business is usually conducted by sporting director Txiki Begiristain, but Guardiola felt the need to personally intervene.