Man City: Ornstein reveals what his ‘checks’ on Guardiola future revealed – ‘it is abundantly clear’

Jason Soutar
Man City manager Pep Guardiola gestures during a press conference
Man City manager Pep Guardiola gestures during a press conference

Pep Guardiola is likely to sign a one-year extension as Manchester City manager, according to David Ornstein.

The Spanish manager is out of contract next summer and was recently linked with the England job before the Football Association gave it to Thomas Tuchel.

He has been ridiculously successful at Man City, winning six Premier League titles in eight years, as well as two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, three Community Shields, and the Champions League.

Rival clubs will be hoping Guardiola leaves but that appears to be unlikely, despite the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain is stepping down at the end of 2024/25.

There were rumours at the start of the season that the 53-year-old would not extend his contract, though there was “no evidence to back this up”.

Ornstein said in a Q&A in May: “I don’t think a decision has been made. As you know from last time, Guardiola tends to leave it quite late before committing. There is a feeling around the industry that he will leave in the summer of 2025, however I currently have no evidence to back this up.”

‘Abundantly clear’ Pep Guardiola will extend Man City contract – Ornstein

Speaking this week, transfer expert Ornstein has said after making “some checks”, it has become “abundantly clear” that Guardiola will sign a one-year contract extension at the Etihad.

“Pep Guardiola was in no position to commit at that point and so the FA would have had to adapt their plans accordingly,” Ornstein told NBC Sports.

“When the story about Guardiola came out about a week ago I made some checks and it was abundantly clear to me that it was more likely Pep Guardiola will extend at Man City for one year than anything else, including the England job.

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“He always tends to leave his decision quite late. I broke the news in November 2022, that he’d be signing his last contract, so that was approaching his final six months.

“And you’ve got to remember Txiki Begiristain is leaving, he’s the sporting director.

“Pep Guardiola has said, ‘Part of me is leaving’ but that has been interpreted as ‘Part of me is staying’.

“So perhaps we haven’t seen the end of Pep Guardiola at City.”

There has been lots of speculation about what City being found guilty of their 115 financial charges would mean for Guardiola and his players.

A report from The Athletic last week said Pep is actually ‘more likely’ to extend if the Premier League champions are found guilty and relegated to League Two, for example.

The report stated: ‘The fact that he is considering staying should also dispel any notion his future is tied in any way to the outcome of the charges.

‘In fact, sources who know Guardiola believe that if City were to be found guilty and severely punished, it would make it more likely he would sign an extension.

‘This would partly be out of defiance and partly not leaving a club he has come to love in a difficult spot.’