Man City concede "valid" Pep Guardiola exit fears as contract talks delayed

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admits it is "valid" to question whether Pep Guardiola will remain at the club beyond next season.

The Catalan has a deal at the Etihad up until 2023 but the success and structures in place on the blue half of Manchester have led to suggestions he could pen a contract extension. Jurgen Klopp recently signed to stay on at Liverpool and City will be keen to keep Guardiola for as long as possible.

The 51-year-old has been at the club since 2016 and recently won his fourth Premier League title in five years as their dominance of the domestic scene continued. Guardiola has also claimed four Carabao Cups and the FA Cup during his stint in England. Prior to coaching City, the tactician had not spent longer than four years at any club.

He led his boyhood side Barcelona for four seasons before taking a year out and returning to work at Bayern Munich for three years. He joined City after that, but his previous stints mean any questions over his future are fair.

And Al Mubarak told the club website : "Pep has never stayed as long as he's stayed here with any club, be it Barcelona or Bayern Munich. So, the question is perfectly valid. It is perfectly valid last year and three years ago, and of course this year. It is a partnership that has done wonders in years.

"It is approaching its seventh year and next year is going to be an exciting chapter of his partnership and we're enjoying every moment of it. We're achieving great things together and this conversation will be had at the right time, at the right pace, and with the pace, time and framework that works for Pep."

Back in 2020, Guardiola signed an extension that kept him at the Etihad until 2023. Upon penning that new deal he said: "The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited about helping Manchester City do that."

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The City boss has a phenomenal support network around him, which includes Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, both of whom were with him during his trophy-laden period at Barcelona. The champions have also bolstered their squad ahead of next season with the addition of Erling Haaland.

The relentless standards Guardiola holds himself to have been behind his exits at his previous clubs. After his four years at Barcelona he said: "With time everything wears down. I am worn down and I need a break." Al Mubarak said on the need to conduct contract talks with the City boss: "You don't need to put any extra pressure on Pep, he puts enough pressure on himself for everyone."