MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola has told Sergio Aguero he wants him to stay at Manchester City but added that it is up to the striker if he wants to leave at the end of the season.
Aguero has been a substitute for City's last two Premier League matches, with new arrival Gabriel Jesus taking his place and scoring three times.
The 28-year-old has said he is happy at the club but indicated that his future could be decided at the end of the season.
A City source has told ESPN FC that the club do not intend to sell Aguero in the summer, and Guardiola has said he remains a firm part of his plans.
The City boss has still to decide whether Aguero will be recalled for Monday's match at Bournemouth and told a news conference: "Sergio knows the intention of his manager and the club.
"I don't want to sell him -- I want him to stay here for a long time until he decides.
"The reasons he has not played the last two games are because Leroy [Sane], Gabriel [Jesus] and Raheem [Sterling] have played amazing. That's the only reason why.
"If I can change the model and play all four... but I am a guy who likes to play midfield players to have more control. What I feel now is that if Leroy, Gabriel or Raheem don't play then he will be in for them.
"He remains a top player and an important one for us to achieve our goals. I don't have doubts about that."
Aguero, third on City's all-time goal-scoring list, has 18 strikes from 26 appearances this season.
But Guardiola said: "At the end of the season, I don't know. I know how difficult it is to find top goal scorers.
"I would like him to stay but I don't know what is going to happen. Even in my career I didn't know what would happen at the end of the season.
"I was clear every time we spoke with Sergio from the beginning. I know his strengths. I know he's trying. I know how much he fought against Tottenham and how many chances he had.
"But at Palace I saw three guys in front with a high intensity and said: 'Wow, I like what they do.'"
Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Chelsea have all been linked with a move for Aguero in the summer.
The Spaniard was also quick to offer an explanation as to why Vincent Kompany did not start against Swansea.
He said: "The reason why he didn't play, like Nico Otamendi, against Swansea was because we knew Fernando Llorente was going to mark Yaya Toure, so our central defenders would be free without the ball and we needed two guys with good build-up.
"We knew that we were going to defend far away from our box and they were not going to use too much counter-attacking. That's why it was not necessary to have central defenders in the box defending a lot of crosses.
"But Vincent, I'm so delighted and happy he's back because I know how well he can play and of course we are going to use him in some special games.''