Revealed: Exit of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in 2025 majorly complicated by extremely rare factor | OneFootball

Manchester City executives face an additional major headache amid reports that Pep Guardiola could leave the Etihad Stadium in 2025.

The 53-year-old is out of contract in east Manchester at the end of next season, with the growing potential for both Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne to leave Manchester City in 2025, following the expiration of the pair’s current contracts.

Guardiola won his 17th trophy at Manchester City last weekend as the Sky Blues won a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title with a 3-1 win over West Ham, with the Sky Blues also lifting the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup during the campaign.

Manchester City were unable to clinch a fourth trophy of the season on Saturday afternoon, suffering a surprise defeat to local rivals Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the Emirates FA Cup Final, as both Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo pounced on first-half errors.

The weekend’s loss, which was the Blues’ first since early December, marked the end of City’s season and potentially the penultimate campaign of Guardiola’s tenure, amid the growing potential for the Catalan not to sign a fourth contract extension.

The 53-year-old has penned three previous new deals since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2016, with next season set to be Guardiola’s ninth at the Etihad.

Martin Blackburn claims that those close to Guardiola believe that the former Barcelona and Bayern boss will depart Manchester City in 2025, with Jack Gaughan reporting that Etihad officials ‘fear’ that Guardiola will leave next year.

Any new manager will have significantly limited time before the start of the 2025/26 season however, with Manchester City set to compete in the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup next summer in the United States.

The expanded competition will take place across June and July next year, with the Sky Blues having qualified for the tournament after winning a maiden UEFA Champions League in June 2023, with a famous win over Inter Milan in Istanbul.

Michel, Julian Nagelsmann, Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi are all reportedly mooted as potential replacements for Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, despite recent suggestions that Manchester City officials wanted the Catalan to extend his stay.