The arrival of Jack Grealish has seen Sterling struggling for more playing time this season as he revealed in a recent interview that he could exit the Etihad Stadium to ply his trade elsewhere should he continue to be left on the bench.
And responding to the comments by the former Liverpool forward, Guardiola reiterated Sterling's importance to the Citizens' squad.
"I didn't know it. I didn't think the club knew.
"Raheem is our player, hopefully he will be an incredibly important player for us. I don't know if he wants to play more."
He added: "Riyad (Mahrez) doesn't play and he doesn't complain, Joao (Cancelo) too. I cannot assure them, I cannot assure how many minutes each one plays. Always they have to speak on the pitch," he said.
"Not Raheem, all of them. They know they are going to play minutes, all of them are involved.
"What I want from Raheem and everyone is they have to be satisfied to be here and delighted to be here. If that's not the case he has to take the best decision for his family."
Sterling has also been linked with a move to Newcastle who are currently planning to build a new side after the Saudi takeover was sanctioned by the FA.
The 26-year-old, who has won three Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, has featured seven times in the top-flight this season, making just two starts.
