Revealed: Where ‘whirl of rumour’ surrounding Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City exit originated | OneFootball

A new report has outlined the source of speculation around Pep Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium, with the Manchester City manager in the final 18 months of his current deal.

Guardiola is contracted till 2027 at City, having penned a two-and-a-half year deal in November 2024. The 55-year-old is aiming to lead the Blues back to title-winning ways in the backdrop of a trophyless 2024-25 season.

Hugo Viana has armed Guardiola with fresh blood since replacing Txiki Begiristain as director of football last summer, with City adding Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to their ranks in January following a flurry of injuries in attack and defence.

It remains to be seen whether Manchester City can sustain their charge for silverware in the coming months, having won just one in their last six Premier League games prior to Sunday evening’s meeting with Liverpool.

The English media have relayed a growing belief in the industry that Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the season – a year before his deal is due to expire.

Executives at the Etihad Stadium, led by Viana and director of football Khaldoon Al Mubarak, are planning for the future and have drawn up an early-stage three man shortlist as they put things in place to recruit Guardiola’s eventual successor.

It has also been reported that should he stay at Manchester City past the summer, Guardiola is unlikely to renew his contract beyond 2027 and that a departure has become a matter of when, not if, for the Catalan.

Guardiola is relaxed about his future and has repeatedly said in press conferences in recent months that he is not thinking about leaving anytime soon, admitting last week that he wants to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson in how many times the legendary Scot rebuilt Manchester United’s sides during his tenure as Old Trafford head coach.

A decision on Guardiola’s Manchester City future and whether the former Barcelona manager will see out the final year of his current deal is expected to be taken at the end of the season – or even after the campaign ends.

As reported by ESPN’s Rob Dawson, source close to SEG – the agency which works with Guardiola’s representatives and is led by his brother, Pere – say anything to do with the Catalan’s Manchester City future is heavily protected.

It is further highlighted that the latest whirl of rumour surrounding a potential exit for the 55-year-old from the Etihad Stadium this summer has been mostly generated by ‘chatter’ between rival executives, agents and players.

Guardiola will be instructing his players to avoid the noise around his future as matters on the pitch need addressing first and foremost, with City making a poor start to 2026 that has cast huge doubt on their prospects in the title race against Arsenal, in particular.