MANUEL PELLEGRINI has rubbed salt into the wounds of his desperate Premier League title rivals by boasting that he is so happy with his squad at Manchester City he is unlikely to make any signings or sales when the transfer window opens tomorrow .
City's Abu Dhabi owners bankrolled a £90 million spending spree last summer and were ready to get the chequebook out again if Pellegrini felt he needed reinforcements. But with key defender Vincent Kompany, right, appearing to be over his injury problems, Pellegrini is ready to shelve his interest in Porto centre-half Eliaquim Mangala.
While Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool look set to scratch around for January signings to bolster their title bids, Pellegrini will even refuse to consider the sale of unsettled striker Edin Dzeko - a target for the Gunners among others - because Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic are both injured .
He will also not sanction loan moves for fringe men Jack Rodwell and Joleon Lescott in order for them to resurrect their England hopes.
With City battling for honours on four fronts and facing a 60-game season, Pellegrini wants to keep his squad together. He said: 'For the moment, we are not talking about that [the transfer window]. We are always analysing what we need and what we don't need.
'There is the possibility for every club in the transfer window. We will see what we are going to do in the next days. At this moment nobody will be leaving."
And Pellegrini said there was never a chance of Dzeko leaving in January even before the recent injury to Aguero, above. 'He is not playing as often as he wants because of Aguero and Alvaro Negredo but you will see that he has played several games in December," said Pellegrini.
'Every player wants to play every game but, given the number of games we have, it is impossible for that to happen.
'I repeat that I think he is happy. He is an important player and there may be offers, but he won't leave.
'With Aguero and Jovetic injured at the moment, we only have two fit strikers so we must split them. Edin got his chance against Crystal Palace and it was important for him to score."
Pellegrini hopes the new year signals the end to the injury nightmare that has dogged Jovetic since his £22 million move from Fiorentina last summer.
Montenegro international Jovetic has made only one Premier League start after a succession of niggling problems which have prompted suggestions he is not strong enough for the English game.