Pep Guardiola has reportedly signed a new contract with Manchester City.
Guardiola, 53, has had a wonderful spell at City since arriving in 2016, winning the Premier League in six of his eight full seasons.
The Spaniard, who previously coached Barcelona and Bayern Munich, also won the Champions League in 2023, winning a total of 18 honours.
There had been much speculation about his future, with Guardiola's contract set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
However, according to The Athletic, Guardiola has put an end to the rumors by signing a new one-year contract with the option of a second year.
The report adds that the 53-year-old's extension will be confirmed in the coming days.
It will take him more than a decade at the club in what is a remarkable longevity for a manager, although he is still the second-longest serving manager in the English league behind Harrogate Town's Simon Weaver.
The news comes during what has arguably been the most difficult time for Guardiola during his time at the Etihad, with City losing their last four games – the worst run of the Spaniard's time at the club.
There were many who thought Guardiola would leave City at the end of the season, alongside football director Txiki Begiristain, a close friend and someone who brought him to the club eight years ago.
Guardiola had admitted that 'a part of me is leaving' when quizzed on the Begiristain news last month, but there was a feeling among those at City at the time that he was also not ready to close the door on staying .
Guardiola has been known to leave contract talks late, with his previous deal signed in November 2022, just over six months before it expired. So this newly reported deal follows the same pattern.
In fact, Guardiola closed that deal on November 19, while this contract was signed two years later on the same day.
Speaking recently after the third defeat of four in the recent run, Guardiola suggested he was no longer up for the challenge despite the difficult run his side are in.
“It's a tough challenge, but I'm here,” Guardiola said. 'It will be a tough season, we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players up and give it a try.”
He later added: 'More than ever I want to take the team to the next level and return it to their top level.'
With Guardiola's contract entering its final months, he was linked with the England job ahead of Thomas Tuchel's appointment. Mail Sport reported at the time how the Spaniard was seen as the FA's dream candidate to become the Three Lions manager for the 2026 World Cup.
However, he will now remain at City as Guardiola's future has been the subject of discussion at press conferences and among fans in recent months.
Speaking in October, Guardiola insisted that City had not put pressure on him to decide his future.
“I really want to be convinced that this is the best thing for the club,” he said. 'I will not delay an action knowing that I am creating a problem for the club.
'If I feel there is a problem at this point, I will make a decision as quickly as possible. But I don't have that feeling, because they understand the reasons I have.'
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He said: 'I'm pretty sure the club has an option on when Txiki should leave and they have options on when Pep will leave.
“Sooner or later it's going to happen and they are prepared. If they ask me my opinion, I will give my opinion.
'But it's not my job. The decision will be made for them, not for me. We shared incredible moments together. But it has to be the club. It's the best.
“So I would say that once I'm gone, the new sporting director has to choose his manager.
'Txiki's departure is part of my departure. The architect. He will be missed. He has made me incredibly balanced in my work, because I am so energetic when things go bad, I want to destroy everything. “He kept saying, 'See you tomorrow, have a coffee.'
Meanwhile, City fans crowdfunded a banner at the Etihad in October for the home game against Fulham that read: 'Pep Guardiola, we want you to stay', in his native Catalan.
Guardiola, who is credited with transforming English football, is the first manager to win four consecutive top-flight titles in England.
In total, he has won 353 of his 490 games in charge of City with an astonishing 72.04 percent.
City are currently second in the Premier League after eleven games, five points behind Liverpool.
Meanwhile, they are languishing in tenth place in the Champions League League stage and will be back in action on Saturday when they entertain Tottenham.
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