Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that he could extend his contract at the club beyond the summer of 2025.
The 52-year-old put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at the Etihad Stadium in November last year, before ending the 2022-23 campaign on a high by successfully steering the Citizens to a historic treble.
Previous reports have suggested that Guardiola plans to depart Man City when his current contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, and a possible switch to international management has been mooted.
The Football Association have allegedly identified the Catalonian as one of their primary targets to potentially replace England manager Gareth Southgate, who has been tipped to depart after Euro 2024.
However, like he did earlier this season, Guardiola has once again refused to rule out staying beyond his current contract at Man City.
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Guardiola has seen his first-team squad evolve during his eight-year spell at the Etihad, and he responded to the departures of Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer this summer by recruiting Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes.
Ahead of Man City's Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Tuesday, Guardiola was asked whether the club's latest additions – all aged 25 and under – could persuade him to remain at the Etihad long term.
"I have energy. I'm not going to answer," Guardiola told reporters. "One year and a half is a lot of time in football. I arrived here with long hair and look what happened."
Asked whether an extension to his current deal is a possibility, Guardiola added: "Yeah of course – can leave tomorrow [too].
"I would have loved the team that won 100 points [in the 2017-18 season] to stay eternally. At all the clubs this happens."
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Guardiola arrived at Man City in the summer of 2016 as one of world's most renowned managers following successful spell in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
In his seven full seasons as Citizens boss, Guardiola has won five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League, and he has since celebrated winning the UEFA Super Cup this term.
Guardiola has won 313 of his 443 matches in charge of Man City across all competitions, boasting an impressive win percentage of 72.3%, and his teams have scored at remarkable 1,062 goals during his tenure at an average of 2.45 goals per game.
Since winning the treble last season, Man City have won nine of their first 13 games in the 2023-24 Premier League and sit second in the table, one point behind leaders Arsenal.
The reigning Champions League holders have already qualified for the last 16 after winning each of their opening four group-stage matches, and they can secure top spot in Group G if they claim at least a point in Tuesday's home encounter with Leipzig.
Oliver Thomas
