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Manchester City have told Real Madrid that Sergio Aguero is not for sale - whatever the fee.

Reports in Spain have revealed that a conversation between City chief executive Ferran Soriano and Madrid president Florentino Perez ended with the message that the 25-year-old will not be leaving the Etihad for the foreseeable future.

The Blues view the Argentine striker as one of the jewels in their crown and Soriano’s refusal to even contemplate selling him was described as “total and absolute.”

Aguero is settled at City despite the break-up of his marriage and he instructed the club, before the hamstring injury that will rule him out of next week’s Champions League tie with Barcelona, that he did not want to conduct any interviews with the Spanish media because he was fearful of any link being made to Real.

Aguero joined City from Real's local rivals Atletico Madrid in 2011 and signed a contract extension last year.

City have constantly dismissed suggestions that his arrival at the Etihad was just a stepping stone before he moved to the Bernabeu.

Perez attempted to put Aguero’s future on the agenda when he was informing Soriano that Real would not be selling Portuguese defender Pepe to the Etihad club.

But the Premier League title chasers view Aguero as ‘unsellable’ and have already instructed the club’s marketing men to step up their use of him in promotional campaigns.