Guardiola hints at extending City contract
THE GUARDIAN – Pep Guardiola has revealed he could extend his tenure as the Manchester City manager when his contract ends in the summer of 2025.
City beat Internazionale in the Champions League final in June to seal the treble last season and it was thought that Guardiola was almost certain to leave at the end of his current deal.
That contract was signed a year ago after those close to him had been unsure if he would do so. This followed the strong expectation that, on arriving at City in the summer 2016, he would not extend his stay beyond the three-year term agreed at the time.
After Ilkay Gündogan and Riyad Mahrez departed, and with Kevin De Bruyne out since the opening game of the season with a hamstring injury, Guardiola is evolving City having recruited Jérémy Doku, Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes in the summer window. Asked before RB Leipzig’s visit in the Champions League on Tuesday if this process might entice him to prolong his time at the club, Guardiola suggested he was open to that possibility.
“I have energy. I’m not going to answer,” he said. “One year and a half is a lot of time in football. I arrived here with long hair and look what happened.”
Pressed if remaining in situ beyond his current deal was a possibility, Guardiola said: “Yeah of course – I can leave tomorrow [too]. I would have loved the team that won 100 points [in the 2017-18 season] to stay eternally. At all the clubs this happens.”
If Guardiola does agree fresh terms it would allow him the chance to continue an already supremely successful era at City. In his seven full seasons at the club, they have claimed five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the Champions League and the Super Cup.
De Bruyne said on Sunday that he hopes to return from surgery on his hamstring injury “close after the new year”. Asked about this, Guardiola said: “If he [De Bruyne] said ‘January’ it will be January. If he said ‘end of December or the new year’ it will be a happy new year for everyone.”