Executives at Manchester City have discovered a new element that might influence Pep Guardiola’s choice about his future at Etihad Stadium.
The 53-year-old’s contract in east Manchester expires at the end of the upcoming season, and there is increasing speculation that the 2024–2025 season will be Pep Guardiola’s final with Manchester City due to rumours that the Catalan is getting ready to leave the team in 2025.
Guardiola, who left Bayern Munich for the Etihad Stadium in 2016, has extended his contract with the Sky Blues three times already. The most recent one was a two-year agreement that was signed in November 2022.
The manager of Manchester City witnessed his team win the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup last month, as well as set a record for the most Premier League titles in a row.
With Manchester City, Guardiola won his 17th major championship. Under his leadership, the Cityzens also took home the FA Community Shield, the Carabao Cup, the Emirates FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.
Since joining the team, Guardiola has overseen 472 games, winning 343 of them over the course of eight seasons, and his team has scored 1,164 goals.
During his tenure at the Etihad Stadium, the 53-year-old has been in charge of several significant roster turnovers, including the departures of David Silva, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany, and Ilkay Gundogan.
Guardiola’s future may be affected by the chance to oversee a large-scale roster overhaul this summer. According to The Mirror, the possibility of a second rebuild would “be enough” to entice the Catalan to accept a new contract deal.
One of the more intriguing current transfer rumours is Manchester City’s planned summertime arrival of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, who is expected to cost £100 million.
In recent weeks, the Sky Blues have also been connected to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala. RB Leipzig striker Dani Olmo has also been mentioned as an attacking target.
Guardiola is not the only player in the Manchester City team who may agree to a contract extension; negotiations on extensions with Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland are scheduled for the upcoming months.
In recent weeks, both Saudi Arabia and the Major League Soccer (MLS) have expressed interest in signing De Bruyne, who is also free agent in 2025.