Manchester City receive heavy blow in pursuit of dream Pep Guardiola successor | OneFootball

Manchester City-linked Vincent Kompany’s new Bayern Munich deal does not contain a release clause, as confirmed by an Allianz Arena executive.

In recent years, there has been a lot of speculation regarding who would step into the ring for Manchester City beyond the legendary Pep Guardiola, whose time at the Etihad Stadium seems to be coming to a close soon after nearly 10 years at the club.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach did opt to extend his contract for a further two years in the fall of 2024, further underscoring his impact and longevity at City since when he replaced Manuel Pellegrini in 2016.

The question on everyone’s lips recently, though, has been how on earth Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and his board go about replacing arguably the greatest and most tactically advanced manager to ever grace the game.

One target recently linked to the Manchester City hot seat is former club captain Vincent Kompany, with as the Belgian growing and excelling as Bayern Munich boss, having led the German giants to Bundesliga glory last term.

Previously, it seemed that the stars may have aligned for City to go and recruit their former skipper to take over from Guardiola but recent developments have thrown a spanner in the works.

Kompany was previously tied at the Allianz Arena till the end of the 2026-27 season – which is when Guardiola will be out of contract at the Etihad Stadium should he not sign a renewal – having admitted he is open to extending his stay in Manchester and that a decision will hinge largely on how the current season goes.

However, in a statement move by both the manager and his club, Kompany has opted to extend his contract until 2029, even with the job of his beloved Manchester City a future possibility, and surprisingly perhaps, there is no release clause.

In an interview with Sky Sports Germany, Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund said: “We never speak about contract details, but we extended the deal so that he stays here for a long time,” as quoted by Florian Plettenberg on X.

“That’s his (Kompany’s) and our intention, and a release clause really has no place in such a contract. We are convinced that FC Bayern and Vincent Kompany are an excellent fit.

“It’s also a signal to the team and to everyone that we want continuity and that we have the perfect coach for FC Bayern.”

Kompany will not be the short-term managerial solution for Manchester City but it does seem inevitable that the club’s greatest-ever captain will take charge of the club; when, who knows, but it does feel certain to happen.