Pep Guardiola's future at Manchester City continues to be a topic of conversation heading into the final few weeks of the Premier League season
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (Image: (Visionhaus/Getty Images))
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could walk away from the club at the end of the season. That’s the view of former City star Gareth Barry, who wouldn’t be surprised if the Catalan decided to quit the Etihad club this summer.
Guardiola has continually dodged questions about whether he could leave City at the end of the season amid renewed speculation about his future.
City's official stance is that they expect Guardiola to still be in charge next season, and the 55-year-old is under contract until the summer of 2027.
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But Barry, speaking via BetMGM, believes: "A couple of months ago I would have said no, thinking he would want to go out on a big high, but now I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves.
“They have won the League Cup and they could potentially win the FA Cup, and the league title is still to play for.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised if he says that his time is up at Man City, but hopefully Pep stays in England because he has been a great manager and great for the Premier League.
“But if he does go, it will be a huge blow, and I think the club are aware of that, which is why they have worked so hard.
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is under contract until the end of next season
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is under contract until the end of next season(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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“I’m sure he had moments in his head when he thought about quitting Man City, and the club have worked really hard to keep him.
“We have seen it over the years with big clubs with managers who have been there for so long and leave; it takes a long time to get the right one back in.
“City will be aware it is going to happen eventually, but the longer they can keep him, the better, so they will be working to keep Pep happy.”
Asked directly about his future at a press conference at the start of April, Guardiola said: “I spoke about that in the past, yeah.”
Pressed further on whether the club had directly asked him for a decision, he added: “I spoke about that in the past many, many times.”