England make informal contact with Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola over becoming next manager | OneFootball

The Football Association have already made ‘informal contact’ with Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola over becoming the next England manager, according to reports.

The England national team have been without a full-time head coach since the departure of long-standing tactician Gareth Southgate, following defeat in the European Championships final in the summer by Spain in Berlin, Germany.

With a big decision set to be made by the Football Association, and those responsible wanting to take the best call possible regarding the future of the team, an interim head coach was put in place for a period of three international camps in under-21 boss, Lee Carsley.

Whilst the 50-year-old has impressed many with his attacking approach, deploying almost all of England’s forward stars across his four matches thus far, there remains an intention from the FA to explore all possible options before returning to Carsley with a decision on his future.

And that search has now led English football’s governing body back to Pep Guardiola, as his own Manchester City future remains in some doubt given the ongoing contractual situation he finds himself in at the Etihad Stadium.

According to the information of several of The Times’ leading reporters, Pep Guardiola has already been ‘sounded out’ about becoming England’s next manager, and is expected to decide on his future ‘in the coming weeks’.

It is explained that the Football Association made ‘informal contact’ with Guardiola at the start of the ongoing season, and whilst considering other candidates and no decision having been made on a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, Guardiola would be the ‘ideal option’.

Unsurprisingly given his success at the Etihad Stadium, it is made clear that Manchester City want the 54-year-old to stay into a 10th season with the club, and Guardiola himself is ‘yet to respond’ to the FA.

One factor that may impact Pep Guardiola’s decision as to whether to prolong his Manchester City stay even further is long-standing Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain’s exit from the club at the end of the ongoing season.

Having first taken on the role back in 2012, and having largely been responsible for most of the club’s success in the transfer market whilst maintaining an excellent personal and professional relationship with Guardiola, Begiristain will be replaced by Sporting CP’s Hugo Viana.

That changeover in the boardroom was confirmed by Manchester City over the course of the weekend, with the 41-year-old joining the club early in 2025 before undertaking a six-month period working alongside Begiristain to ‘smoothen the transition’ into the Etihad.

At present, it is understood that Begiristain’s decision to leave has been coming for the last five years and Guardiola has been kept informed. It is also believed the decision to exit is not connected to Guardiola’s future, despite the plan being for the pair to leave simultaneously.