MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola has been delighted with the response of striker Sergio Aguero after coming back into the Manchester City side.
Aguero has scored 10 goals in his last 10 games but the issue of his long-term future is still to be settled. A club source has told ESPN FC that City do not want to sell him but the player himself said his future will become clear at the end of the season.
Guardiola has been impressed by the 28-year-old's contribution in recent weeks and said Aguero is making an impact for his team after calling for him to contribute more for his side.
"I said many times that he's involved in the game. My feeling before that he was just waiting to score a goal. Now he's involved in the game," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of City's Premier League game against Southampton on Saturday.
"Not just the defensive part -- he's helped us a lot -- but he is doing all he can do in our process to create chances. That's why. There are no complaints about what he has done after the injury for Gabriel Jesus.
"[His attitude] was always good, from the beginning. Maybe now he understands better what we're looking for.
"He's trying and that is what I want. When he misses chances, always you can improve, but we've no complaints."
Guardiola refused to be drawn on any ins or outs at the summer but said he is taking a risk not renewing the contracts of six senior players, who are out of contract.
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Willy Caballero, Gael Clichy, Jesus Navas and Yaya Toure can all leave for free at the end of the season.
Navas, who is a target of former club Sevilla, has started the last three matches as a right-back and Guardiola has been delighted with his contribution.
"I'm really impressed with his performances as a full-back," the City boss said. "Not just in terms of up front, but he's a guy who can go up and down. But he's not just a fast player. Jesus has this quality -- normally fast players can go four times up and down. He can do that many times, look at the balls he's saved.
"We cannot forget he played against [Eden] Hazard, he played against Alexis [Sanchez] and he was brilliant.
"I've said at the end of the season we'll decide [on players' futures]. The guys out of contract can decide if they want to wait. But of course, Jesus can show us, he can hold his position as a full-back.
"He's playing the last games as a right-back because Bacary was injured and Pablo was two or three weeks with no training sessions. I decided in the Arsenal game to give him a big chance, I spoke with him about what he felt about it.
"He said 'no problem, I've done it before many times in my career, I can do that.' Now he can play again and again because he's convinced me he can do it at a high level."