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LONDON. — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has agreed in principle an extended deal that will keep him at the Etihad until 2025.
And that will be the final piece in the jigsaw which guarantees Erling Haaland joins Manchester City rather than Real Madrid.
City sources insist that the Spaniard has given the thumbs-up to adding another two years to his current contract, which runs for another 12 months.
The fresh deal is likely to also include an option for another year beyond that, which would take his Etihad reign to a decade.
Guardiola was quizzed about his future again after Liverpool announced Jurgen Klopp extended his own contract until 2026.
He insisted his sole focus was on City’s title defence and Euro commitments — but insiders claim it is a matter of time before the extension is announced. Manchester City believe Guardiola will sign a new contract this summer – even if he leads the Blues to the Champions League football title.
Guardiola has one more season left on his current deal, but talks have already taken place with his agent brother Pere about extending his stay at the Etihad until 2025. And the message was that the Catalan will have unfinished business in Manchester — even if City become European champions next month. There have been suggestions that Guardiola will walk away if he lifts the Champions League for the first time as a manager without having Lionel Messi in his team. But Guardiola believes the team he has built is yet to peak.
City are closing in on Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland — and a huge part of the negotiations that have taken place with the Norwegian’s father Alfie involved the future of Guardiola. City have informed Dortmund that they are willing to trigger Haaland’s £63million release clause after being assured that the player sees the opportunity to work under Guardiola too good to refuse.
The 51-year-old former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has brought unprecedented pulling power to City during his six years with the club. And Etihad bosses are now so confident that he will stay with the club beyond 2023 that the groundwork on identifying a potential successor remains on the back burner.
A deal with Haaland has been agreed in principle after the 21-year-old realised that a move to the Etihad would be better for his development than joining Real Madrid. Haaland has designs on winning the Ballon d’Or as well as the game’s top trophies.
And while City’s Champions League semi-final with Madrid is still in the balance after the Blues’ epic 4-3 first-leg victory last week, the Spanish club need to rebuild their squad. La Liga has also lost some of its lustre after Messi followed Cristiano Ronaldo out of Spain. — The Mirror.
Online Reporter