Raheem Sterling became the most expensive English player of all time when he joined Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015 for a fee that could reach £49 million.
He has so far repaid that price with 116 goals in 307 appearances for the club, winning eight major trophies at the Etihad Stadium.
But the winger has endured a tough calendar year on the pitch so far, as minutes - and goals - have dried up for his club.
His transition from crucial player to squad option has only intensified rumours linking Sterling with a move away, specifically to Catalan giants Barcelona.
However, recent reports suggest things aren't looking good for Barcelona's chances of signing the ex-Liverpool man, partially because City doesn't generally like to sell major players in January.
Now, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo are reporting that City would not be opposed to the idea of Sterling leaving on loan in January - as long as they can find a high-quality forward to replace him.
The report claims that Sterling, now behind Phil Foden and Jack Grealish in the pecking order, "has not taken it well at all".
It adds that his attitude is part of the reason why Guardiola and his staff would be open to letting Sterling go.
But they will only do so if a forward at the same level can be signed to replace Sterling, with City unwilling to compromise the overall quality of their squad by letting a top player leave without filling the gap in the side.
With a long season ahead for the Premier League champions, injuries or loss of form to key players are always possibilities that Guardiola likes to have contingency plans in place for.
As the report states, "perhaps a substitute today can be a starter in a few weeks".
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