Pep Guardiola closer than ever to new coaching role after deciding to leave Manchester City at end of contract: Reports

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's possible future destination could be with the English national team. According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, the Spaniard could leave the defending Premier League champions at the end of the season to take up the position with the Three Lions.

His current contract with the Cityzens is set to expire in the summer of 2025, casting doubt over his future at the Etihad with no update on his contract renewal.

Guardiola became the Manchester City manager before the 2016-17 season. The legendary manager has left a massive imprint on the Premier League, converting the side into a juggernaut. They have won the last four seasons in a row and five of the last six, indicating their dominance. The Cityzens also completed a treble in the 2022-23 season, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup in that season.

The report further claimed that Guardiola's departure could bring about a host of changes to the City squad as well. Top stars, including Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri may reconsider their future at the Etihad if the Spaniard leaves.

Taking up the vacancy with England would mark Pep Guardiola's first ever job on the international stage. The Three Lions were led by Gareth Southgate who took the side to two Euros finals, both of which ended in defeat. He was subsequently removed from his position following the 2024 edition of the tournament and England u-21 manager Lee Carsley has been appointed as the interim boss.

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Former Manchester City star opens up about Pep Guardiola comments that caused frustration

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips claimed that Pep Guardiola's comments on his weight caused him a lot of frustration. The 28-year-old, currently on loan with Ipswich Town, said (via My Mate's a Footballer podcast):

“You probably heard about the time when Pep came out and said that I was overweight after the World Cup. I think that narrative on social media just kind of grew and grew to something that it actually wasn’t.

“Every club that I’d go to, I spoke to the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they’d always speak about weight before they’d say anything else.

“It got to the point where it peed me off a little bit. I was getting quite frustrated with it, but then now I’ve come to Ipswich, the manager’s an unbelievable person as well as a manager."

The comments came after the 2022 World Cup, with Guardiola claiming that the midfielder came back from Qatar out of shape, preventing him from training and playing to the best of his abilities.

He barely featured under the Spaniard, making just 31 appearances across two seasons, scoring one goal. He had a difficult loan spell with West Ham United in the second half of the 2023-24 season and will be hoping to get his career back on track with the Tractor Boys.