Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola may continue in his current position at the club for a little while longer as a contract extension could possibly be on the table for him.
The Spaniard has been at Manchester City since 2016 and his current contract is due to expire in the summer of 2025. Guardiola's period at Manchester City has been filled with endless success and pure domination, making him the club's most decorated manager in its history and one of English football's greatest-ever managers.
Among his major honours during his seven years at Manchester City are five Premier League titles, which include a 100-point campaign in 2017/2018 and three titles in a row from 2020-2023. Also, the UEFA Champions League, four League Cups, two FA Cups and the UEFA Super Cup have been won during Guardiola's tenure.
Last season was Guardiola's finest as Manchester City boss as the club became just the second English side to win the treble, as they won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all in a single season.
After last season's success, some would have tipped Guardiola to not go beyond his existing contract and leave Manchester City in 2025 as there may not be much more for him to achieve, but now the Spaniard could be set for an extended stay in Manchester.
At his pre-match press conference for Manchester City's Champions League group stage fixture with RB Leipzig, Guardiola was asked whether there was a chance he could stay in his current role beyond 2025. He said: "Yeah of course. I have energy."
However, Guardiola did not give a definitive response to the question of a new contract and pointed out he may even choose to depart the club. The Manchester City boss stated: "I'm not going to answer. One year and a half is a lot of time in football. I can leave tomorrow."
What may keep Guardiola at Manchester City for longer than his current deal is the responsibility he may feel in developing and overseeing the next evolution of Manchester City's side. This is because there have been significant incomings and outgoings at the club in recent times with the side seemingly heading in a new youthful direction.
Senior players such as Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo have departed Manchester City in the last 18 months after previously playing important roles in Manchester City winning silverware under Guardiola.
In that same time frame, young stars including Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes have been signed whilst academy prospects, Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb have been integrated into the senior set-up.
Also, key players and influential figures under Guardiola in his tenure at Manchester City, including Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, are 33 and 32 years old respectively, with the latter currently recovering from a serious hamstring injury that he sustained in August.
Prior to managing Manchester City, Guardiola would not spend an extended period managing a team as he spent four seasons coaching Barcelona and three years in charge at Bayern Munich. His current tenure at Manchester City already surpasses the amount of time he spent as manager at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich combined.
Guardiola's lengthy stay in Manchester likely comes from it being the ideal environment for him to be able to operate the way he pleases with the necessary support and the structure at the club being of the highest standards. Alongside evolving the current Manchester City side, this may be what convinces Guardiola to remain at Manchester City beyond 2025.
Another aspect that may determine Guardiola's future is the current 115 financial breaches placed on Manchester City, which may see them potentially relegated from the Premier League if they have been found guilty of any wrongdoing.
Last week Guardiola hinted that he could stay even if Manchester City are relegated to the lower divisions, saying: "There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we win the Champions League."
Guardiola's current contract reportedly sees him earn close to £20 million per year, making him the highest-paid Premier League manager and the second highest-paid manager in the world, behind Atlético Madrid boss, Diego Simeone.
