Five things he must address

Pep Guardiola is set to extend his stay at Manchester City but it could be a turbulent period with a number of outstanding issues to address for both manager and club.

Guardiola, if reports are to be believed, has agreed a 12-month extension to the contract that expires at the end of the season with the option for a further year at the Etihad Stadium.

The former Barcelona boss has won it all with City, lifting 18 trophies, including six Premier League crowns, but his final chapter could be the most challenging.

Here, we look at what the Catalan will have to address over that period.

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— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 18, 2024

The repercussions if City are found guilty of financial misdemeanours

The elephant in the room.

City have been charged with 115 breaches of financial rules and an independent hearing is underway. The club have consistently maintained their innocence and Guardiola has repeatedly said the media should not pre-judge the outcome.

Whatever the verdict, Guardiola will have questions to answer as the de facto figurehead of the club.

If they are found to have breached regulations then the fall out could be seismic, both for the club and the game.

 

Remaining on top of English football

He has achieved so much at City, Guardiola will be determined to go out on a high. Not winning the league in his final season, now likely to be 2025-26, would be anti-climactic.

Liverpool appear to have found a new self-assurance under Arne Slot, Arsenal are likely to get stronger under Mikel Arteta and, while they seem some way off at the moment, Manchester United could get a significant lift from the arrival of Ruben Amorim.

The gap between City and the rest already seems to have shrunk, as evidenced by the fact they trail Liverpool by five points this season and are on an uncharacteristic run of four successive defeats.

 

An ageing squad

City’s success under Guardiola has been built around the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker.

All four are now the wrong side of 30 and attempts to lower the age of the squad has produced mixed results. Erling Haaland is the obvious success but Matheus Nunes, Savinho and Jeremy Doku have struggled to make an impact.

De Bruyne’s contract expires at the end of the season, as does Gundogan’s, with Silva, Walker, Ederson and John Stones’ deals up in 2026.

They are big holes to fill should City decide to move them on.

 

Working with Hugo Viana

Guardiola’s partnership with Txiki Begiristain has been pivotal to his success in Spain and England with the City boss admitting “a part of me is leaving too” when it was announced the club’s director of football will leave at the end of the season.

It is likely Guardiola had a say in selecting his replacement – Sporting CP’s Hugo Viana – but their working relationship will have to develop quickly if City are to remain ahead of the pack.

Plans for the 2025 summer window will already be advanced but Begiristain’s departure is undoubtedly a blow.

 

His plans at the end of the 2025-26 season

Assuming he does just stay for an additional 12 months, Guardiola will walk away on the eve of the 2026 World Cup.

And given he has stated previously his desire to give international management a crack, he will be well placed given there is usually churn following a major tournament.

He will undoubtedly want a lengthy break after an intense spell in the Premier League but it’s likely several countries would be willing to wait.

Brazil have been a long-time admirer and what about England…?