Manchester City insist manager Roberto Mancini's job is safe. City have denied Mancini's job is under threat from Pep Guardiola after the club lured Barcelona's former technical director Txiki Begiristain to the Etihad as director of football.

:Roberto has won three trophies in two-and-a-half years and was given a new five-year contract in the summer, and that would not have happened if the powers that be thought they had the wrong manager," a source told ESPN.

"No, this is not about the manager, as some mischief-makers might assume. The possible recruitment of another former Barcelona man, that is just not what is going on here.

"We have a monster of a project with our new academy and Brian is going to oversee that while Txiki comes in as we need a division of roles.

"Brian [Marwood] met up with Txiki on Thursday and Friday and Brian has the respect of the chairman and has been a constant in all that has been going on with some big changes and the creation of a philosophy and everyone is working together toward that end."