Manchester City want a decision from Pep Guardiola about signing a new contract before the end of the year, according to ESPN.
The 53-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of this season but he has yet to signal to the club whether he is willing to extend his stay.
Some reports have claimed that Guardiola has already decided to leave the Etihad but ESPN claim that City are still hopeful that the Spaniard will remain in Manchester.
It has been suggested that the club could even offer him a one-year rolling contract to give him the freedom to leave as and when he chooses.
A key figure’s departure from City has raised further doubts
The club have already confirmed that Txiki Begiristain will leave his role as Director of Football at the end of the campaign. Considering that he is a close ally of Guardiola’s (with the pair having worked together at both Barcelona and City), it has left big questions about the manager’s future.
Some have played down the significance of Begiristain’s departure, saying it will have no bearing on Guardiola’s decision but it’s clearly not going to help City’s cause.
There is already speculation about who could replace Guardiola
With Sporting Lisbon’s sporting director Hugo Viana set to replace Begiristain, there has been some talk that Ruben Amorim could follow him to Manchester.
The 39-year-old has been linked with other Premier League teams, including West Ham, Chelsea and (more recently) Manchester United.
Amorim may well be on the shortlist if Guardiola does opt to leave but it appears as if the Premier League champions are very much playing a waiting game at the moment to see what their current manager will do.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
