Brilliant teenage forward Diaz scored twice as City beat Fulham to reach the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup – and sent another message to his manager about why he needs to get more chances in the first team.
But with his path to regular opportunities blocked by the likes of Leroy Sane and Sergio Agueuro, the 19-year-old is now seriously considering quitting at the end of the season when his contract runs out.
Spanish giants Real have made their interest known – and Diaz will be free to sign a pre-contract with another club in January despite City being desperate to keep hold of him.
Guardiola said: "We want him, but, at the end it does not depend on us – it is the desire of him.
"We insist we want him, but agent, him and family decides.
"There is no change of opinion now because he scored two goals or because he was not selected for any Premier League games.
"The opinion of us is so high, but in the top teams like here in compete with Leroy, Bernardo, Sergio it is not easy to find a space. He knew that from the beginning.
"If he decides to stay, we are delighted to be with him and we will do absolutely everything to keep him with us, but after that he decides. It’s simple.
"He knows the desire that we want for all young players. They know how we want to protect them.
"We know how we try to help him to understand in a particular way we want to play, for the young players in the academy."
City are now in danger of seeing another one of their brilliant young talents quit the club because they are tired of waiting for first team starts.
England winger Jadon Sancho snubbed the offer of a new deal at the Etihad to join Borussia Dortmund and is already lighting up the Bundesliga.
The success Sancho has had already has been noted by his former youth team pal Diaz who knows he needs to make the step up to regular football soon to continue his development.
Sancho is even reported to have recommended signing Diaz to Dortmund in the knowledge of the quality the young Spaniard possesses.
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