Pep Guardiola announced that he may continue as the manager of Manchester City beyond his current contract, which expires in 2025.
In June, City won against Internazionale in the Champions League final, securing the treble for the last season. It was believed that Guardiola would most likely leave at the end of his current contract, which was signed a year ago. Prior to signing the contract, there was uncertainty among those close to him about whether he would stay. This was due to the initial expectation that he would not extend his stay beyond the three-year term that was agreed upon when he joined City in the summer of 2016.
After the departures of Ilkay Gündogan and Riyad Mahrez, and with Kevin De Bruyne injured since the first game of the season, Guardiola is making changes to City’s team by bringing in Jérémy Doku, Josko Gvardiol, and Matheus Nunes during the summer transfer window. When asked before the Champions League match against RB Leipzig on Tuesday if this could lead him to stay at the club longer, Guardiola expressed openness to the idea. “I still have energy. I won’t give a definite answer,” he stated. “A year and a half is a long time in football. I came here with long hair and look at me now.”
When asked if he would stay beyond his current contract, Guardiola responded by saying he could leave tomorrow. He expressed his desire for the team that achieved 100 points in the 2017-18 season to stay together forever, but acknowledged that this is a common occurrence at all clubs.
If Guardiola decides to renew his contract, it will provide him with the opportunity to extend an incredibly triumphant period at City. During his seven complete seasons with the team, they have won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the Champions League, and the Super Cup.
On Sunday, De Bruyne expressed his optimism about recovering from his hamstring surgery shortly after the start of the new year. When asked about this, Guardiola stated that if De Bruyne mentioned a specific month such as January, then that is when he will return. However, if he mentioned the end of December or the new year, it will be a positive start to the year for everyone.
There are concerns about the availability of Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic, and Nunes for the upcoming match against Leipzig. In order to secure first place in their group, City only needs one point as they have already advanced to the last-16 stage with the German club.
Bypass the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Guardiola stated that he is not hopeful about certain individuals returning, but only time will tell.
Source: theguardian.com
