Pep Guardiola contract renewal chances revealed – Duo tasked with replacement search | OneFootball

A detailed report has laid out how Manchester City will approach their hunt of a capable replacement for Pep Guardiola in the foreseeable future.

Guardiola has less than 18 months left on his current deal at the Etihad Stadium and there is a growing belief in the football industry that the 55-year-old will call it a day at the end of the season – 12 months before his contract expires.

The Catalan has not made any public comments that suggest he will leave anytime soon but Manchester City executives are planning for the future, with director of football Hugo Viana believed to have been tasked with finding a capable replacement for Guardiola.

City remain in the hunt for silverware on four fronts this season and while the jury remains out on whether the Blues can close a six point gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal, history teaches us that it is foolish to rule Guardiola and co out of a run-in battle with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

Manchester City return to action in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night as they look to book a final date with Arsenal at Wembley, having taken a two goal lead in the opening leg at St. James’ Park courtesy of goals from Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki.

However, the cloud of uncertainty hanging over Guardiola’s City future is getting heavier, with Sami Mokbel reporting for BBC Sport that there is growing uncertainty at the Etihad Stadium over whether the Catalan will honour the final year of his current deal.

A decision on where Guardiola stands on the final year of his contract is expected to be taken closer to the end of the season – or after the end of the season – though executives at the Etihad Stadium seem to have progressed their hunt of a replacement for Manchester City’s greatest ever head coach.

Furthermore, the report cites that it is improbable that Guardiola renews beyond 2027 if he does see out the final year of his contract, which means an exit from Manchester City is increasingly a question of when, not if, for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

Viana has been tasked with leading the search of a replacement, with club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the centre of a process that will eventually see Guardiola depart the club and a successor take over from the Catalan.

“There is a plan for everything,” a source said as cited in the BBC Sport article, with Manchester City executives, in tandem with chief executive Ferran Soriano, working to navigate a tricky period on and off the pitch for title-chasing City.

The Blues have also requested for noise around Guardiola’s future at the club to be swept to the side when speaking with potential signings in the transfer market as they prepare for a busy summer transfer window.

John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake and Kalvin Phillips are all expected to leave Manchester City in the summer, with Viana set to back Guardiola heavily once again should the Catalan stay put for one final season at the Etihad Stadium.