Get the day's biggest City stories delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Manuel Pellegrini refused to discuss Gareth Bale when asked if Manchester City would be interested in the Real Madrid winger.

Bale looks set to leave the Bernabeu this summer, with Manchester United hoping to lure him to Old Trafford.

Pellegrini admits City need to sign a ‘crack’ player to rise to the challenge of Premier League champions Chelsea and Spanish giants Barcelona.

Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and Ross Barkley are all targets - but he refused to enter a debate over Bale.

“There is a lot of rumours without talking,” he said. “You can’t start talking about how many players are going to be here. It’s not a thing I can talk about at this moment.

MORE:

“I said that for every important team it’s good for the team to buy important players every year if they can.

“To change players or bring new players.”

Bale has endured a miserable season in Spain, with Real's own fans booing him and attacking his car.

The £85.3m winger is determined to prove his critics wrong, but United are hopeful he can be persuaded to head back to the Premier League.

Chelsea are also monitoring his situation.

Meanwhile, Pellegrini says he expects an answer over James Milner’s future at the end of the season.

The England midfielder is out of contract in the summer and is yet to agree a new deal.

Arsenal and Liverpool are both interested in the 29-year-old and Pellegrini said: “I think it’s an issue for James to decide.

“The moment we finish the season we will know what he wants for his future.

MORE:

“He knows what the club thinks about him and we wait for his decision.

“Everyone has the option to decide his future.

“If he decides he has another option and a better contract at another club he has all the right to do what he will think is better for him.”