• Ivorian content to play under incoming coach who sold him at Barcelona • Joe Hart bullish before Champions League second leg against Dynamo Kyiv

Yaya Touré wants to continue playing in the Premier League should the incoming head coach, Pep Guardiola, decide the Ivorian can leave Manchester City in the summer.

Touré has a year left on his contract and would be content to play under Guardiola, who managed him at Barcelona. But there is uncertainty over the midfielder’s long-term future at City, who are preparing for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night.

However, despite serious interest from Internazionale and clubs in China, the 32-year-old midfielder has no intention of moving abroad. City may be reluctant to sell Touré to a direct rival, yet given his pedigree as a winner of all English football’s domestic titles plus the Champions League with Barça in 2009, and with Touré having only 12 months left on his contract, he would represent an attractive signing for clubs in the Premier League.

The Guardian understands Touré is open to working under Guardiola, despite the Spaniard allowing his sale to City from Barça in July 2010 for around £24m. There are no issues between the two men and relations are cordial. In September 2014 Touré and Guardiola embraced within seconds of City losing to the Spaniard’s Bayern Munich in a Champions League group match at the Allianz Arena. This sparked criticism of the Ivorian from City fans via social media.

Touré has also put behind him the controversy over comments by his agent, Dimitri Seluk, who claimed in May 2014 City did not show him enough respect when celebrating his birthday.

Touré enjoys the challenge of playing in the Premier League and he and his family are settled in the Manchester area, along with his extended family. However, there is a recognition on the player’s part that any decision regarding whether he is to remain at City for next season is out of his control.

Touré has scored eight times in 37 appearances this season though he has been hampered by injury. The recent heel problem that ruled him out of the goalless draw at Norwich City on Saturday was the seventh different injury he has sustained in the campaign.

He is still recognised by Manuel Pellegrini, who will make way for Guardiola, as a key player. The Chilean has pointed to Touré’s big-game temperament on several occasions this season and it was Touré who scored the penalty in the shoot-out against Liverpool that won the Capital One Cup final at Wembley at the end of last month.

Pellegrini, meanwhile, believes City’s big-name players will improve as the club moves deeper into the Champions League knockout stage.

City hold a 3-1 lead over Dynamo Kyiv before the game at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night. Their Premier League challenge is faltering, as they are now in fourth place. Yet with City aiming to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, the manager is confident his finest players, such as Touré, David Silva, Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Agüero, can find an edge the longer they stay in the competition.

“That would be important if we are to go further,” said Pellegrini, who believes City can win the trophy. “Yes, of course I think we can do it.

“Talking about my personal experience, I did it with another club Málaga and Villarreal, the quarter-finals with both clubs and one of them to the semi-final. It doesn’t matter against who we must play, the important thing is to be in a good moment with a good individual performance, and play as a team in the way we know how to do it. If we do it, I think we can play against all the big teams with big players.”

Hart echoed his manager’s bullishness. “People have their opinions on what’s going on in terms of British teams in Europe at the moment but we can only send the message that we’re here, we’re in it to win it and we’re going to keep fighting to the end,” the goalkeeper said.

Hart believes he is enjoying the finest form of his career. “I feel good at the moment,” he said. “We’ve worked together as a team for a long time, I feel comfortable with what we’re doing and what we’re trying to achieve at the club, so I’m just trying to repay the faith of being played the majority of the time, keep my standards as high as I can.

“I’m in a good place age-wise and at a time of my career when I need to be at that level if I want to be playing in these kind of games.”

Of the challenge of facing Kyiv, Hart said: “They’re back from their mini pre-season now and back firing, so it’s going to be a difficult night for us but we’re ready and we want to make more history.”