"If only you would appoint a successor."He replied, "If I appoint a successor, then Abu Bakr already did so, and if I do not appoint one, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not appoint one."
حدثنا يحيى بن موسى حدثنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن الزهري عن سالم بن عبد الله بن عمر عن أبيه قال قيل
لو استخلفت قال إن أستخلف فقد استخلف أبو بكر وإن لم أستخلف لم يستخلف رسول الله ﷺ
Agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim narrated it in the Book of Leadership, Chapter on Appointing a Successor and Leaving It, hadith no. 1823, from the report of Abdul-Razzaq. Bukhari narrated it, hadith no. 7218, from the report of Abdullah bin Umar, through him.