Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has agreed to extend his contract for another year, keeping him at the club for at least 10 years. While City hasn't officially commented on the report, which was first shared by The Athletic, multiple sources have confirmed the extension. Guardiola’s current deal was set to expire at the end of the season, and while the new contract may include an option for a second year, that's still unclear.
Guardiola, 53, joined City in 2016 and has since won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles. His time at the club has been marked by major successes, such as helping City become only the second English men's team to win the Treble (Premier League,
FA Cup, and Champions League in the same season), as well as the first to win four consecutive top-flight titles and reach 100 points in a single Premier League campaign.
This season, however, City is currently in second place in the league, five points behind Liverpool, and is enduring a rare rough patch, with four straight defeats across all competitions. Guardiola acknowledged this after their recent 2-1 loss at Brighton, saying, "Maybe after seven years winning six Premier Leagues, maybe one year another team deserves it."
Guardiola has signed contract extensions with City in May 2018, November 2020, and November 2022. Back in May, after securing a historic fourth consecutive league title, he admitted he was "closer to leaving than staying."
His future seemed even more uncertain in October when his long-time ally, director of football Txiki Begiristain, announced he would leave City at the end of the season, prompting Guardiola to say, "part of me is leaving."
Guardiola had previously stated he wanted to be "really convinced" that any extension would be in the best interest of the club. The uncertainty surrounding his future has been cited by some as a factor in City's recent struggles.
Additionally, there’s still no timeline for the Premier League’s disciplinary case against City, which involves 115 charges the club denies but could result in severe sanctions if proven guilty. Guardiola has consistently defended the club, urging critics to wait for the final outcome of the case before passing judgment.
He is now the longest-serving current manager in the Premier League, following Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool earlier this year.
“ManCity means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club…”
