Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied reports that he will return to Barcelona following Josep Maria Bartomeu's abrupt resignation.

Guardiola is into the final year of his current contract at the Etihad and so far the City failed to make headway in retaining the Spaniard's services. Earlier this week, Victor Font, the frontrunner for the new Barca president, claimed that he will bring Guardiola back if he wins the election.

However, Guardiola responded to the speculation by declaring that his career with the Spanish giants is "over."

"I've said it many times, my career as a manager at Barcelona is over. I think once in a lifetime you have to do these things and there are incredible people who can be in charge now. For example Ronald Koeman is an excellent manager, so it's over," he told reporters in a press briefing when asked about his future on Saturday.

"Now, there will be elections at Barcelona and hopefully they can choose the right people for the right board to maintain this incredible club at the highest level. I'm still incredibly happy here [at Man City], I still have the desire to do well and this is the most important thing," he added.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, suggested that Guardiola could leave City at the end of the season if the club falls short to reclaiming the Premier League title once again.

"I see him as having the type of character that if he felt he wasn't doing what was expected of him, he would be the first to hold his hand up and walk away, and go on to pastures new. He just seems like that type of guy," Ferdinand said during an interview with BT Sport.

"I think he seems quite emotional at times – and he will go with his emotion at that time. I think he'll be brutally honest in that respect, and the City fans won't want to hear that, because where do you go from there? But I think that's the type of guy he is," he added.