Pep Guardiola delays Manchester City future decision until end of May | OneFootball

Manchester City will not find out whether Pep Guardiola intends to complete his existing contractual agreement, or leave this summer until the end of the season.

The 55-year-old is currently in the midst of the penultimate year of his contract, which was extended in late 2024 to run until June 2027.

But despite the longer-term security on paper, the atmosphere around the Etihad Stadium has shifted – irrespective of a 2-0 Carabao Cup Final victory over Arsenal on March 22 – towards the idea of the ongoing season serving as a fitting final chapter for his decade-long tenure.

Manchester City currently sit second in the Premier League, trailing Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal by nine points with a game in hand as they head into an April schedule that also includes a significant FA Cup Quarter-Final against Liverpool.

The uncertainty surrounding the manager comes at a time of structural transition within the club, with new Sporting Director Hugo Viana continuously working on his overhaul of the first-team recruitment strategy – which began in January 2025, alongside Txiki Begiristain.

When will Pep Guardiola decide on his Man City future?

Now, according to the information of The Telegraph’s Jason Burt, Pep Guardiola will wait until the end of the ongoing season before deciding whether he will stay at Manchester City for another campaign.

It is pointed out that despite widespread reports surrounding the Catalan’s future, he has genuinely not decided whether he will remain at City or leave the club, and talk of City formally asking Guardiola whether he plans to see out his contract are wide of the mark.

As such, Pep Guardiola’s intention is to analyse in May where the current Manchester City side are under him, how he personally feels, and then decide on his future.

From the side of Manchester City, they are said to accept the 55-year-old will inform them of what he wants to do in his own time, and do not want to put pressure on him.

Man City’s three-man shortlist of Pep replacements

While the club officially maintains a no pressure stance around their most successful ever manager, the reality is that a shortlist of potential successors has already been established, and remains attended to.

Reports in various quarters suggest that former Etihad assistant Enzo Maresca – who most recently led Chelsea to a Club World Cup and Europa Conference League double – is a leading candidate.

The Italian is believed to be joined on a high-level list by Xabi Alonso, who remains highly regarded despite a difficult stint at Real Madrid, and former club captain Vincent Kompany, currently excelling at Bayern Munich.

The decision made in May could yet have a major domino effect on Manchester City’s summer transfer business, particularly regarding the futures of reported transfer targets such as Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali.

Should Pep Guardiola choose to walk away earlier than contractually expected, the appointment of a successor like Enzo Maresca in particular would signal a commitment to tactical continuity, given his understanding and familiarity with the club.