Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has agreed to sign a one-year contract extension. Despite the club's silence on the matter, multiple sources have confirmed that Guardiola has chosen to extend his tenure at the club to a decade. This move is something which few fans would have been live betting on, with the former Barca boss' position in doubt for some time.
Speculation has surrounded the man widely regarded as the world's best manager, with many predicting that he would leave the Etihad Stadium next summer. However, now he looks certain to stay for at least until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The 53-year-old Spaniard joined Manchester City in 2016 and has since led the team to win 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles. His contract was set to expire at the end of this season.
There is speculation about an option for a second year in the new agreement, but core details of the deal remain unconfirmed at this time.
During his tenure in Manchester, Guardiola has helped transform City into only the second English men's team ever to win The Treble - securing victories in the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League all within one season. They also became pioneers as they were crowned champions four times consecutively in English top-flight football and achieved an unprecedented 100 Premier League points within a single campaign.
His achievements have been unmatched in the modern era with City, under his stewardship, breaking team and individual records left and right, hoarding silverware constantly, and growing into the behemoth they have become today.
Despite their past successes under Guardiola’s leadership, Manchester City are lagging behind Liverpool this season in the Premier League, after experiencing a streak of four consecutive defeats across all competitions. This marks an unfortunate first for Guardiola who had never previously endured such consistent losses during his managerial career.
Guardiola signed contract extensions previously in May 2018, November 2020 and November 2022 but hinted at a possible departure this time around, after Director of Football Txiki Begiristain announced he would be leaving at the season’s end. The two have a very close relationship and this seemed to many to be the beginning of Pep's exit.
The uncertainty surrounding his future may have contributed towards their recent poor form, with fans surely now hopeful of a turnaround with the matter put to bed.
Adding further complications is an ongoing disciplinary case brought by the Premier League against Man City over alleged financial misconduct which could result in significant sanctions if they were to be proven guilty – allegations that both club and manager deny vehemently while awaiting the final decision on case proceedings.
Before joining Man City, Guardiola had an illustrious career in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, where he also enjoyed trophy-laden spells and built a reputation as a modern-day footballing genius.
As Pep Guardiola embarks on another year with Manchester City, amidst challenges both on and off the field, fans will be eagerly watching how this next chapter of his storied career unfolds.
