Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. (FILE)
After much speculation about his future, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has finally penned a new one-year deal with the Premier League defending champions, taking him through the summer of 2026.
The new deal means that he will complete a decade at the English giants, having joined City in 2016 and having won a stunning 18 trophies so far, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a Champions League.
Till 2026 however, Guardiola is set to face one of the most challenging times as a manager, having to deal with a range of issues from a bad run of form to the club facing the Premier League’s 115 charges for alleged breaches of financial rules.
Here’s a look at some of the challenges the Spaniard faces:
The Big Case
Manchester City are defending themselves against more than 100 charges brought by the Premier League. City deny all allegations. If the champions are found guilty then, depending on the severity of the verdict, one potential sanction is demotion from the top division.
Guardiola has said he would stick around even if City were “relegated to League One”.
Poor run of form
Guardiola’s immediate challenge is getting out of a slump which Manchester City find themselves in. A defeat by Brighton last time out was the first time Guardiola has suffered four successive defeats at the club and was the first time since 2006 that City have lost four in a row. The run certainly isn’t terminal in terms of their bid to win a record-extending fifth straight Premier League title, given they are only five points behind leaders Liverpool and four points clear of third-placed Chelsea.
Rodri’s replacement, De Bruyne’s contract
The most pressing are whether City bring in a replacement for Rodri in January and whether to offer a new contract to De Bruyne. The Belgian, 33, has started just 19 out of a possible 49 Premier League games since he was injured in the Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in 2023.
Time to start rebuilding?
Guardiola has to look at the current aging squad – with nine over 30s. Do they have the desire and capability to push again or is it time to start building again? Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Ederson’s current contracts run out in 2026, meaning decisions are also going to be made over their futures.
