Pep Guardiola agrees new Manchester City contract

Pep Guardiola's glittering reign at Manchester City will stretch to a decade after the manager surprised the Premier League champions by committing to a new contract in principle.

Pep Guardiola.

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Guardiola is set to pen an extension to his deal which could run another two years until 2027, in a significant boost to City - who were facing the prospect of simultaneously losing both their all-conquering boss and sporting director, Txiki Begiristain.

Mail Sport reported in the summer that Guardiola was expected to call time on his illustrious spell in charge at the end of this season, with a changing of the guard deemed highly likely by those close to him.

It is understood that senior figures were cautiously discussing succession planning, while Guardiola was contacted by the FA regarding the England post in July.

Guardiola's friends were left with the sense that he was seriously considering replacing Gareth Southgate.

But the 53-year-old returned to pre-season training energized after making history by leading the squad to four consecutive league titles.

Although he continued to consider his choice, with sources indicating they were unsure of the conclusion as recently as this month, the conversation over Guardiola's future had shifted considerably throughout the first few months of the season. The development suggests that he is eager to oversee big changes to the squad next summer.

Given City's involvement in the revised Club World Cup, which ends a few weeks before the 2025-26 season, there were also potential logistical problems to consider when hiring a new manager next summer.

Hugo Viana, an ex-Newcastle United midfielder, is taking over from Begiristain as City enters a new era, with the two working closely together during the transition phase.

Guardiola will remain the constant throughout, and the news of an extension should send a message to a team that has lost four in a row in all competitions and fallen five points behind Liverpool in the title chase.

In a gruelling schedule, City face Tottenham at the weekend, then travel to Anfield a week later, before facing Aston Villa and rivals Manchester United next month.

City's action against the Premier League over suspected financial irregularities will be resolved in the coming months. Guardiola has publicly expressed his confidence in the club's hierarchy during the financial inquiries.

Since joining City in 2016, the 53-year-old has won the Premier League six times in eight complete seasons.

The Spaniard, who formerly coached Barcelona and Bayern Munich, won the Champions League in 2023 and has 18 titles in total.

There had been much uncertainty about his future, but Guardiola's new contract will extend his stint with the club by more than a decade, but he remains the second-longest serving manager in English football, trailing only Harrogate Town's Simon Weaver.

The announcement comes at a tough time for Guardiola during his celebrated term at the Etihad Stadium, with City having lost their past four games - the worst run in the Spaniard's career.

Many predicted Guardiola's departure from City at the end of the season, along with director of football Txiki Begiristain, a close friend who introduced him to the club eight years earlier.

When questioned about the Begiristain situation last month, Guardiola confessed that 'a part of me is departing', but there was a sense among people at City that he was not yet ready to say goodbye.

Guardiola is well-known for leaving contract talks till the last minute, with his previous deal inked in November 2022, just over six months before it expired, and this new deal follows like.

In fact, Guardiola signed that contract on November 19, and this one was signed two years later on the same day. 

Guardiola recently dismissed allegations that he was no longer up for the assignment, speaking after his team's third defeat in four games. 

'It is a difficult challenge, but I am here,' Guardiola stated. 'We knew it would be a tough season from the beginning. But this is how it is. I like it, I love it, and I want to confront it, boost my teammates, and attempt it.

He later stated, "More than ever, I want to lift the team and return them to their top level."

With Guardiola's contract expiring, he was connected to the England post before Thomas Tuchel was selected, with Mail Sport saying at the time that the Spaniard was the FA's dream candidate to lead the Three Lions at the 2026 World Cup.

However, he is reportedly expected to stay at City, after Guardiola's future was discussed at press conferences and among fans in recent months. 

Guardiola said in October that City had not put him under any pressure to declare his future.

'I want to be completely convinced that it's best for the club,' he said. 'I will not delay an action knowing that I am causing a problem for the club.

'If I believe there is an issue right now, I will make a judgment as soon as feasible. But I don't feel that way since they understand my motives.' 

Candidates for Guardiola's replacement included Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim, with the Catalan earlier saying that he was willing to offer his opinion on the next manager.

He said: 'I'm fairly confident the club has options when Txiki leaves and when Pep leaves.

'Sooner or later, it will happen, and they are prepared. If they ask for my opinion, I will provide it.

'But that's not my job. The decision will be made for them and not for me. We've shared some incredible moments together. But it must be the club. It's the finest.

 So, once I'm gone, the new sporting director will have to choose his manager.

'Txiki's departure coincides with my departure. The architect. He'll be missed. He made me extremely balanced in my profession since I am so energetic when things are going wrong that I want to ruin everything."See you tomorrow, take a coffee" he said all the time.

Meanwhile, in October, City fans crowdfunded a banner at the Etihad for the home game against Fulham that read: 'Pep Guardiola, we want you to stay' in Catalan.

In total, he has won 353 of his 490 games in command of City, an incredible 72.04 percent. 

City are now second in the Premier League after 11 games, five points behind Liverpool.

Meanwhile, they are ranked tenth in the Champions League League Stage and will face Tottenham on Saturday.