Pep Guardiola may be tempted to manage England

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola “may be tempted” to leave the club and manage England, journalist Ben Jacobs has now suggested.

When does Pep Guardiola’s contract expire?

Guardiola signed a new contract with Man City in November 2022, which is not due to expire until 2025, but there are doubts over his future, with The Guardian reporting he is “firmly minded” to leave the club when his current deal comes to an end.

The Spaniard is said to have “all but decided” to leave the Sky Blues in the summer of 2025, after what will have been a nine-year stint in charge at the Etihad Stadium, and the report states that “one option may be to coach an international team.”

That is where England come into the mix, with it being reported that Gareth Southgate is set to leave his role as manager after Euro 2024, and some of the FA’s officials are dreaming of bringing the City boss in to replace him.

Speaking to CaughtOffside about Southgate’s future as England boss, Jacobs has now said: “Gareth Southgate has come under some criticism of late, although I thought England were excellent in the 3-1 win over Scotland. The 1-1 draw against Ukraine was drab, though.

“Southgate won’t be sacked. That’s not an option being considered, and rightly so in my view. It’s just a case of whether he stands down after Euro 2024. His contract expires in 2024 as it stands.

“The FA are already considering options. This is normal, since international jobs (and the recruitment for them) work differently than in club football with a bit more forward planning. But obviously things can be entirely influenced by how England perform at Euro 2024, which is why it’s a bit early to be making predictions.”

Before later adding: “Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is an interesting one to watch. The FA would love to have him. If Manchester City again dominate, could Pep be tempted by a fresh challenge?

“Sources do indicate he likes the idea of managing at a World Cup, but he could also miss the day to day of club football at this stage of his career. Pep, a bit like Jose Mourinho has said in the past, may wait until slightly later in his career for an opportunity in international football.”

Is Pep Guardiola leaving Man City?

Of course, it is natural for managers and players alike to relish a fresh challenge, with former City captain Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona for that reason, despite leading the club to a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign.

However, at 52-years-old, Guardiola is still relatively young for a manager, and it seems quite early for him to venture into international football.

If the Sky Blues continue to dominate in the Premier League and Europe, the former Barcelona boss may be tempted to stay, as it would be a risk to move elsewhere and start a completely new project from scratch.

For now, Man City fans can rest easy knowing their manager remains contracted until 2025, and they will be hoping he can win his sixth league title this season, having made a perfect start to the campaign.