Young forward not concerned by competition at San Siro.
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Manchester City target Stephan El Shaarawy has played down talk that he could leave current club AC Milan due to an increased competition for places, Sky Sports reports.
The Italian international is rated as one of the best young players in the world, and attracted a lot of interest over the course of the summer after 19 goals for the Serie A giants last term.
Arsenal were linked with a surprise bid for the 20-year-old, but Manchester City seemed the most likely candidates to sign him this summer, and were said to have attempted a swap deal with Milan involving Carlos Tevez, though the Argentine striker later ended up joining Juventus.
Milan have recently completed the signings of Alessandro Matri and Kaka, leading to speculation that El Shaarawy’s place in the team might be under threat, but the player himself has committed his future to the club and underlined his determination to fight for his place in the starting lineup.
“I’ve decided to stay at Milan,” he said.
“I have made a precise decision and, no matter what offer arrives, I want to stay at Milan.
“There’s more competition in the squad now, but there will be playing time for everybody. I’ll fight for my place in the team.”
El Shaarawy’s ability to play out wide or upfront have seen him compared with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and it would not be surprising to see top sides come in for him again in the future.