Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino hopes to persuade winger Jason Puncheon to sign a new contract.
The 26-year-old arrived at St Mary's from Plymouth having played for no less than seven clubs and he failed to immediately settle, leading to further loan spells with Millwall, Blackpool and QPR.
Despite criticising club chairman Nicola Cortese on his return to Saints in January 2012, Puncheon gradually became a first-team regular and has impressed in the Premier League this season.
With Puncheon's contract up in the summer, Pochettino said through an interpreter: "I myself haven't spoken anything about his contract.
"I've only recently arrived so my first priority has to be the whole of the team, not just one player. There are certain movements that were already happening with players when I arrived.
"In the coming weeks we will be speaking at a club level with the appropriate people to decide on the matters of players at the club.
"Puncheon is a player I am counting on and he is a player that has certain qualities and skills that are good for the team so, yes, I'd like him to stay."
He added: "I always think that in football it is not just one person signing any players. It is the club signing the players.
"Now I am the manager here and I will probably bring in some players.
"Some players will work out so maybe sometime in the future I may be thanked, but then there will be players that didn't work out. That is how football really is."
One of the clubs linked with a move for Puncheon is Newcastle, who host Southampton on Sunday, and Pochettino added: "It will be down to the player to make that decision. I've said before that we will make decisions on the future."
City had hoped to build on last season's Premier League title success by bringing in Robin van Persie from Arsenal, but lost out to rivals Manchester United.
The champions were also linked with other big names such as Javi Martinez, Eden Hazard and Daniele di Rossi but instead brought in Jack Rodwell, Matija Nastasic, Maicon, Scott Sinclair and Javi Garcia to mixed success.
With City now trailing United by 12 points at the top of table with 12 games remaining, their hopes of retaining the title are fading and it could be argued what happened last summer cost them.
Mancini told The Guardian: "It's important to realise we have made some mistakes.
"I have made some mistakes and the players have made some mistakes.
"But the first reason is because we didn't do what we should have done in the summer transfer market - we worked really badly in the market."
Mancini's words could be interpreted as criticism of Brian Marwood, the club's former sporting director who has since switched to a role in charge of the Academy.
Mancini expects better recruitment this summer following the arrival of former Barcelona figureheads Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain as chief executive and director of football respectively.
He said: "Ferran came from Barcelona and understands what it needs to be a top club. Txiki played football and knows football.
"They are good men. For this reason, I am optimistic about our future. We now have people who know their football."
Strikers Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao of Napoli and Atletico Madrid respectively could be among City's targets this summer and Mancini admires them both.
He said: "Cavani and Falcao would work in England. They have experience. Both players are 26, 27. They are good enough to play in England."
Sinclair is also yet to make his mark at the club having made just two league starts but Mancini concedes his had not given him enough opportunities.
He said: "I haven't given him a chance. It's not his fault. He's working well every day and he hasn't caused any problems. I'm very sorry."
