Erling Haaland sends personal message to Pep Guardiola over Manchester City future | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has received a clear message from a senior member of his Manchester City squad over his intentions when it comes to his Etihad Stadium contract.

The 53-year-old remains out of contract at the end of the ongoing season, and Manchester City have allowed him the time and space to make a decision on his future intentions without any internal pressures.

That has largely stemmed from a feeling of respect for the Catalan’s outstanding achievements at Manchester City since his arrival in 2016, and it appears as though the approach taken by Etihad officials has paid off.

Widespread reports first emerging from The Athletic have revealed that Pep Guardiola has agreed to a one-year extension as Manchester City manager, taking his tenure up to 10 years, with the option to stay for a further 12 months after then.

And speaking during the most-recent international break and prior to any formal announcement on Guardiola’s future, Erling Haaland told reporters whilst on duty for Norway of his hope that the coach remains in charge of the club beyond the ongoing campaign.

“I hope Pep signs a new contract,” Haaland said whilst away with Norway’s national team, during a break that saw him record a further hat-trick in a dominant win over Kazakhstan in UEFA Nations League action.

Haaland continued on the Catalan coach, “He has been important for me in the first two-and-a-half years. I hope he stays longer. I like Pep a lot and hope he likes me, too.”

Erling Haaland and Manchester City will return to Premier League duties on Saturday evening, as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium with hopes of ending their torrid four-game losing streak across competitions.

That run has been far from disastrous for Guardiola’s side, but given the high standards they set themselves, they will know that winning form must return as soon as possible to remain within touching distance of Liverpool at the summit of the Premier League table.

Contests against Feyenood and Juventus in the UEFA Champions League are also looming in the coming weeks, whilst Premier League meetings away to the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa will also come as mammoth challenges for Guardiola’s Rodri-less side.