Mehdi Benatia not leaving Roma to join Manchester City or Barcelona, says boss Rudi Garcia



Medhi Benatia won't be leaving Roma according to boss Rudi Garcia

Barcelona and Manchester City have been linked with a move for Benatia



The Moroccan defender is valued at £25million by Serie A side Roma

Luis Enrique is interested in bringing the 27-year-old to the Nou Camp

Eliaquim Mangala is also a defensive target for City

Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross may be another target for the Premier League champions due to Fianancial Fair Play's ruling



Mehdi Benatia will be staying at Roma according to the Italian club's boss Rudi Garcia.

The Moroccan defender has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City or Barcelona after an impressive debut season at Roma but Garcia insists the 27-year-old will not be leaving the Stadio Olimpico.

Going nowhere: Roma boss Rudi Garcia has said defender Mehdi Benatia will not be leaving the club

'[Miralem] Pjanic's contract renewal is a signal. We will keep our players and reinforce,' the former Lille manager told L'Equipe.

'Benatia has four years left on his contract and no release clause. He will remain with us next term.

'It's logical that clubs are interested in him, looking at the season he had.'

Benatia is valued at £25million and is favoured by new Barcelona boss Luis Enrique as the man to bolster their backline.

Strong at the back: Manchester City and Barcelona are considering a move for Roma's Benatia (left)

City are considering their options in light of last week's Financial Fair Play ruling with Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross another possible target because of the 'homegrown' factor.

The Premier League champions need to boost their allocation with Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Scott Sinclair, James Milner and Jack Rodwell all expected to leave with the latter two attracting attention from Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The Etihad outfit have developed their interest in the centre-back after defensive target Eliaquim Mangala has done little to endear himself to City fans after saying he would prefer a move to Chelsea instead.

The Porto defender came close to moving to Manchester in January but the clubs could not agree a fee.

When asked which club he would rather join, the France international told BeIn Sports: 'City or Chelsea? Chelsea because it is London.

'It is true that I love the Premier League because it is a spectacular championship,' Mangala added. Sharp shooter: Benatia is considered one of the best defenders in Italy after impressing at Udinese and Roma

'In January, there were discussions with City but it fell through because the two clubs could not reach an agreement.

'My goal now is the World Cup. We will see what happens after that. I told [agent] Jorge Mendes that I don't want to know anything about the transfer window until then.

'Every player wants to play in the biggest clubs. I am an ambitious player and the team that can help me win titles is the one that interests me.'