Pep Guardiola is facing a monumental season at Manchester City as he aims to reclaim the Premier League crown.
The Citizens have exacted wholesale changes to the side who fell way short of the mark behind eventual champions Liverpool last season.
Manchester City managed to reclaim their form in the second half of the campaign and finished the season in third place, comfortably inside the Champions League qualification spots.
Rayan Ait Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki are standout additions at the Eithad and arrive with expectations to immediately impress in Manchester after the club awarded Cherki the number 10 shirt.
Rayan Cherki of Manchester City and France celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Predictions for the upcoming 2025/26 Premier League campaign are in full swing, with Manchester City labelled as outside title candidates.
However, Leon Osman has shared his “bold” prediction and it involves Guardiola’s future at Manchester City.
Leon Osman expects Pep Guardiola to leave Manchester City
The former Everton midfielder shared his predictions for the season via the Premier League official website, and he believes Guardiola will not remain at the Etihad beyond the Christmas period.
Osman’s ‘bold’ prediction: Pep Guardiola to walk away from Man City before Christmas.
Guardiola will have to rediscover the form of past if he is able to close the gap to reigning champions Liverpool this season.
Manchester City allowed Kevin De Bruyne to join Napoli upon the expiry of his contract, ending his ten-year association with the club, and leaving Guardiola without his star talisman.
Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli celebrates after scoring a goal during the pre-season friendly match between Napoli and Girona at Stadio Teofilo Patini.
Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Mikel Arteta regards De Bruyne as one of the best players in Premier League history, and the stats agree; the Belgian has won six league titles, six Carabao Cups, three FA Cups, and, of course, the 2023 Champions League in Manchester.
And although Reijnders has impressed throughout pre-season, De Bruyne’s influence will be dearly missed by the Citizens, most notably by Erling Haaland, as he loses his main creative outlet.
When does Pep Guardiola’s contract at Manchester City expire?
TBR Football exclusively revealed in November 2024 that Manchester City expected Guardiola to stay at the Etihad, as the Spaniard went on to sign an extension until 2027 that same month.
Guardiola is entering his ninth season in charge of the Citizens and remains the second-longest-serving manager of the club, behind Les McDowall, who managed for 13 seasons between 1950 and 1963.
Regardless of whether he calls time on his Manchester City career in 2027, he has already earned the title of the most successful manager in the club’s history, boasting the highest win percentage as well.
Josep 'Pep' Guardiola, head coach of Manchester City, issues instructions during a training session
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Although City fans may not want to entertain the idea of someone other than Guardiola in the Etihad dugout, speculation persists regarding his future with each passing season.
Should Manchester City reclaim the league title this season, Guardiola would undoubtedly relish the prospect of embarking on another dominant spell in England and perhaps aim to overtake Sir Alex Ferguson’s record tally of 13 Premier League titles.