Manchester City set deadline for Guardiola to sign new contract

Manchester City have reportedly set a Christmas deadline for Pep Guardiola to make a decision about his future at the club. This current season is the last one of the Catalan manager’s present contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016 meaning he is nearing a decade at the club. In his previous two jobs at Bayern Munich and Barcelona he spent only 3 and 4 seasons respectively. At City he has spent more than that time combined. He has taken charge of 472 matches for them, winning 349, drawing 57 and losing 66. This includes this season’s first game of the Premier League for City, which they won 2-0 against Chelsea.

Not only that but Guardiola has also won 6 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, 3 Community Shields, 5 EFL Cups and 2 FA Cups at the club. He has been widely regarded as the manager in world football for over a decade now and replacing him is going to be a herculean task for Manchester City.

As the Sky Sports report that broke this news, this was in fact to avoid settling for a last minute replacement if Guardiola, in fact, decides to leave. However, given his status and importance, it won’t be surprising if City end up waiting longer than their Christmas deadline. If Guardiola were to leave, he would once again be linked with national teams like England and Brazil, as both of the associations are said to be interested in his services.