Pep Guardiola signs new Manchester City contract

Pep Guardiola has agreed to a new contract at Manchester United that will keep him with the Premier League club until 2023.

Guardiola’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season but he has now put pen to paper on a new contract that, should he reach its conclusion, will take his tenure at the Etihad Stadium to seven years. The 49-year-old has already spent longer with City than either of his two previous clubs – Barcelona and Bayern Munich – and he is set to become the team’s second longest-serving post-war manager after Les McDowall.

So far, Guardiola has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three EFL Cups during his tenure and has a 71 per cent winning record that is the best of any City manager.

“Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the club and in the city itself- from the players, the staff, the supporters, the people of Manchester and the chairman and owner,” said Guardiola. “Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies, and we are all very proud of that success.

“Having that kind of support is the best thing any manager can have. I have everything I could possibly want to do my job well and I am humbled by the confidence the Owner, Chairman, Ferran and Txiki have shown in me to continue for two more years after this season.

“The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited and about helping Manchester City do that.”

Guardiola had been the dream target of City’s Abu Dhabi owners for several years before they finally got their man in 2016 and since then he has helped to further cement the Citizens’ place among the top sides in English football.

City had been linked with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann as alternative options but it had always been up to Guardiola to decide whether he would stay or go.

Chairman Khaldoon Mubarak said: “It is testament to the qualities of the man that Pep Guardiola’s passion and intelligent approach are now woven into the very fabric of the football we play and our culture as club. That impact has been central to our success during his tenure and it is why I am delighted that he shares our view that there is so much more to be achieved both on and off the field.

“Pep’s contract extension is the natural next step in a journey which has evolved over many years. It is a product of the mutual trust and respect that exists between him and the entire club. It also goes to the stability and creativity at the heart of our football operations. Importantly it is a validation of the football structure and philosophy that has been built over more than a decade and to which he has contributed so much.”

In 245 games as City manager Guardiola has registered 181 wins and just 36 defeats with his team scoring 607 goals and winning eight trophies. So far the Champions League he won twice with Barcelona has eluded him but City consistently rank among the favorites to win the tournament.