Pep Guardiola issues major update on Manchester City future and keeps door open to contract extension | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has once again issued a huge statement on his Etihad Stadium future, speaking during his latest USA media address during pre-season.

The Catalan boss has been speaking to reporters ahead of Manchester City’s second pre-season friendly in the United States, following on from the club’s opener in Chapel Hill, North Carolina earlier this week.

Despite a narrow 3-4 defeat to Celtic at the Kenan Memorial Stadium, Pep Guardiola was left with plenty of positives to mull over ahead of the club’s second contest, including the fine individual performances of Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis, James McAtee, and Maximo Perrone.

But while plenty of the conversation between the two matches off the field has been dominated by Ederson and Julian Alvarez’s future, discussion around the Manchester City manager’s contract – which expires in 2025 – has taken a back seat.

That is until now, as the 53-year-old has provided Manchester City fans with an in-depth analysis of his own future, and crucially keeping the door open to yet another contract extension at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to the media ahead of City’s next pre-season friendly against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York City this weekend, Pep Guardiola was in fact keen to insist on keeping the door open to an extended stay with the Premier League champions.

Immediately addressing his comments of being ‘closer to leaving than staying’ issued at the end of last season, Pep Guardiola explained, “I know maybe I was not correct to say in the right moment, when we won the Premier League, but I’m saying that I’ve been eight years in Man City. So I’m not being here for eight more years. So that’s why I’m more closer to leaving than staying. But I didn’t say I’m leaving!”

The Manchester City manager continued, “When I’m leaving, I will say I’m leaving. But I didn’t say it. So that was my approach, maybe I was not correct to say but that was my feeling right now. So we spoke with the club and said it’s a lot of years, so we’ll see what happens.

“But I will not rule it out absolutely to extend the contract. I would love to stay, because I would love to stay. So that’s why I don’t want it to happen, I don’t want to deny my feelings, I want to see my players. Nine years, today, in the same club is… an eternity.

“And I want to be sure it’s the right decision, not just for me, for the club, it’s the right decision for the players, that still they run like they already ran for eight years, it doesn’t matter the competition, it doesn’t matter the tournament. This is what I have to see. And that’s all.

“But I’m pretty sure eight more years I will not stay, because I think it’s good to refresh, the players, the managers. But at the same time, we had success, still winning Premier Leagues, still arriving in the last stages. When we were defeated in tournaments, in important tournaments, the Champions League with a good prestige of the way we were already defeated. So this is my feeling right now.”

On whether he has given himself any time limit as to when to make a decision on his Manchester City future, Pep Guardiola explained, “I’ve not given it consideration, because I haven’t decided I’m leaving.

“Well, when I decide, OK it’s over… First of all, I will talk with my sporting director, my chairman, my CEO. That’s the first. I will never do one step without my tea, my club not knowing it. I’m incredibly grateful. Too much… When it happens, we will talk. When? I don’t know when is the best. It doesn’t mean to do it that way is perfect, or doing it another way is perfect. Or maybe in a few months, I will say, extend the contract. So I don’t know.

“What I said at the end of the season, I said OK at the start of the season, how is everything going, how connected we are together again, and after we’ll see.”

Manchester City’s last Pep Guardiola contract extension came during the club’s eventual Treble-winning season of 2022/23, with the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager committing his services to the Etihad Stadium until the end of the 2024/25 season.

However, one further complication to matters is the presence of the new and expanded FIFA Club World Cup hosted by the United States next summer, and scheduled to come at a difficult time of Pep Guardiola’s contract.

The City boss has insisted on multiple occasions that he would like to stay and lead his squad into the newly-expanded 32-team tournament, with the club also retaining the status of champions of the world heading into the 2024/25 season.

Following a request made to the Premier League at the end of last season, Manchester City have been granted special permission to continue wearing their gold FIFA Club World Cup winners badges for the forthcoming campaign across all four of their new jerseys.