Manchester City believe Pep Guardiola could decide to sign a new contract “during the forthcoming international break”, according to TBRFootball.
The website reports that the Premier League champions are now expecting the 53-year-old to make a decision “in the coming weeks” or, at the very least, before the end of the year.
Up until recently, many at the club feared that Guardiola was preparing to leave the Etihad at the end of the season, with his current deal set to expire in June.
However, TBR claim that the outgoing Director of Football Txiki Begiristain has “indicated” to the Abu Dhabi Group that Guardiola is set “to stay”.
It has led to the Cityzens drawing up a contract in anticipation that Guardiola will agree to a further extension.
Guardiola has a habit of signing renewals in November
This latest development about the manager’s future won’t come as much of a surprise to those who have paid attention to Guardiola’s last two contract extensions.
The Catalan agreed a renewal in November 2020 and the same thing happened in November 2022 so there is a clear pattern in his decision-making.
City need some stability at a turbulent time
Some pundits have been too quick to declare that it is the end of an era for the club following a challenging start to the season. They are, however, still in 2nd place, 4 points ahead of last season’s runners-up Arsenal.
Of course, trailing leaders Liverpool by 5 points is not ideal but it is ground they can make up, especially if they can get players back from injury.
If Guardiola does indeed sign on the dotted line over the next couple of weeks, it would give the club a big boost heading into a crucial festive period.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
