Pep Guardiola ends speculation over his Manchester City future by agreeing contract extension

Pep Guardiola has committed his long-term future to Manchester City by agreeing a new contract, Sportsmail can reveal.

The Catalan’s existing deal only had seven months left to run and persistent speculation over his next move threatened to overshadow City’s season.

Guardiola moved to resolve the situation over the international break, however, and definitively came to the conclusion that he wanted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola has committed his long-term future to Manchester City by agreeing a new deal

It ends constant speculation over his next move that threatened to overshadow City’s season

The fortnight away from Premier League football was the only clean break he will have until March and reaching a decision on whether to stay or call time on his association with the club was of paramount importance.

Sportsmail understands that Guardiola has now approved a contract extension that could take him beyond the 2021-22 season.

That would represent at least six years in charge of City – considerably longer than had been expected when the former Barcelona manager arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016.

City were desperate for the 49-year-old to continue in the job and had afforded him the necessary time to deliberate the decision with his family. That the answer has come in November serves as a significant fillip for planning purposes and eradicates any lingering uncertainty.

Guardiola moved to resolve the situation over the international break and decided to stay put

If he stays until 2022, it would represent his longest stint as boss of a single club in his career

Guardiola has won six major trophies at the helm – including consecutive league titles in 2018 and 2019 – and wants to wrestle back the top spot from last year’s champions Liverpool.

The biggest task ahead is to go beyond the quarter-finals in the Champions League, a hurdle City have fallen at in each of the past three seasons. The 3-1 defeat by unfancied Lyon in August hurt the players and coaching staff, with a steely determination now inbuilt to prove their detractors wrong.

Guardiola’s decision came quickly, with sources telling Sportsmail as recently as last week that the club were in the dark over his thoughts.

The news raises the prospect of this being Guardiola’s final job in club management before moving on to the international scene.

He has won six major trophies at City, including back-to-back league titles in 2018 and 2019

The news about Guardiola suggests City could reignite their interest in Lionel Messi

It also suggests that City could reignite their interest in Barcelona’s Lionel Messi as soon as January. The forward was unhappy that disagreements surrounding the wording of his contract blocked a switch to the North West during the summer and wants to leave the Nou Camp.

Messi will have only six months remaining in the New Year and is free to negotiate a free transfer with foreign clubs. City may, however, see January as an opportunity to thrash out a fee for the 33-year-old given Barcelona are taking young central defender Eric Garcia back to Spain.

Guardiola was pleased with the recent defensive reinforcements in the shape of Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias, although he is still hopeful of a further freshening up of his squad. A left back remains on the agenda, although that has been dependent on another leaving, with Aleks Zinchenko seemingly the most likely to depart.