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Manchester City have declined to comment on fresh reports claiming that manager Pep Guardiola is set to stand down at the end of the season.
Reports claim that Sunday’s final Premier League fixture against Aston Villa will be the Spaniard’s last match in charge, bringing an end to his 10 years at the helm.
Despite the persistent speculation surrounding the 55-year-old’s future, Guardiola still has one year remaining on his current contract. Manchester City’s position on the matter has remained unchanged throughout the season.
It has been widely reported that former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will take over at the Etihad Stadium.
The 46-year-old, who was an assistant to Guardiola during City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, has been out of work since leaving Stamford Bridge in January.
His departure from Chelsea came after he informed the club he had been in contact on multiple occasions with Manchester City about taking over from Guardiola.
Guardiola has overseen one of the most successful managerial reigns in English football history.
Since his appointment in 2016, City have won 20 trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
They have also won the FA Cup three times and lifted the Carabao Cup on five occasions, including both competitions this season.
They remain in contention for the Premier League title and face Bournemouth on Tuesday, hoping to take the race with Arsenal to the final weekend.
Guardiola gave mixed messages when asked about his future earlier on Monday.
At a press conference to preview Tuesday’s trip to Bournemouth, Guardiola referenced both the “one more year” on his contract and a hypothetical new three-year deal.
Yet, as he has on several occasions, he stopped short of explicitly stating he would remain at City next term.
After being asked about Andoni Iraola’s imminent departure from Bournemouth, Guardiola was questioned on whether he had thought about his own farewell.
He sighed heavily and said: “Next (question). So many times – I have one more year!”
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