Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has fueled future speculation that he could leave the club after the 2024/25 season. The Spaniard has been with the reigning English champions since signing on in 2016. He most recently penned a contract extension back in 2022. The deal, however, only keeps the legendary coach in place until June 2025.
As a result, Guardiola, the highest-paid Premier League manager, is set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign. The Spanish coach’s future with City has been one of the most-followed soccer stories in recent months. While he has yet to give a definitive answer regarding the issue, a move behind the scenes at City may help sway his decision.
Txiki Begiristain, City’s director of football, recently announced that he would be leaving the club after 12 years on the job. Guardiola and Begiristain have a close relationship after previously working together at Barcelona.
The Spanish duo were first teammates at the Catalan club in the 1990s. They then later worked together at the Spanish side as executive and manager. Begiristain eventually left Barca for City in 2012 and essentially helped the English team attract Guardiola four years later.
Guardiola was asked about the upcoming departure of his close friend during a press conference on Friday. “Part of me is leaving,” proclaimed the coach. “A friend of mine, an architect who created one of the best teams at Barcelona, and here. Personally, he will be missed a lot.”
“He made me balanced in this job. I’m so energetic, and when we lose, I want to destroy everything, and he always said, ‘Take a moment.’ In all the families, we have to move on, and the club will move on.”
Guardiola was recently linked with the England national team job before the Football Association (FA) eventually hired Thomas Tuchel. The Spaniard was asked multiple times on Friday if he discussed the role with the FA. Guardiola, however, opted not to confirm or deny the talks. Nevertheless, the City manager did confirm that he does want to manage a national team.
The admission comes as City goalkeeper Ederson has claimed that the club may already have a Guardiola successor lined up. “I believe the club already has the next manager in mind,” Ederson told TNT Sports Brazil. “The day Pep decides to leave, they will try to follow the same line of work. Of course, it would be a great loss. I have no doubt about that because you are talking about the best coach in the world. I see a club very well prepared for post-Guardiola [era].”
Current Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has links with a potential move to City if Guardiola resists a new contract. The move would seemingly make sense for multiple reasons. First of all, Amorim is a highly-rated young coach who will undoubtedly join a top team in the future.
On top of this, Sporting’s Hugo Viana will replace Begiristain next summer. Viana has been the director of football at the Portuguese club since 2021. The executive would likely want to bring Amorim with him to City in June, assuming Guardiola is not in place.
Whatever Guardiola decides, City will give their coach as much time as he wants to sort out his future. It remains unclear if the outcome of the club’s ongoing court case will affect the coach’s final call. While Guardiola has not officially made a final decision, he did admit on Friday that he will depart Manchester “sooner or later.”
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