Guardiola faces 'DECISIVE HOURS': Pep tipped to quit Man City for another crisis club

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 2 Apr 2025 17:19 BST
• 3 min read

News

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is in what is being described as a “decisive” phase of his career, with the Catalan subject to a surprising transfer rumour.

Guardiola signed a new contract with Man City in November, and while the Etihad outfit have struggled to get anything close to their best level, there has been little suggestion that he could renege on his deal, which runs until 2027.

But AC Milan are hoping they can somehow lure the 54-year-old to San Siro in the summer, according to Corriere della Sera.

Milan are in a hurry to finalise their plans for the 2025/26 campaign after a wretched season of their own that has seen Paulo Fonseca sacked and Sergio Conceicao set to follow in the summer. The Rossoneri are said to be in the “decisive hours” of plotting their future – and that has implications for Guardiola.

Paratici wants Guardiola, aiming for De Zerbi

The Serie A giants are moving to secure a new sporting director, with controversial former Tottenham Hotspur boss Fabio Paratici in pole position for the spot after a meeting in London.

Paratici has named Guardiola as his “fantasy” coach, although it is accepted that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss will be extremely difficult to sign this summer. Instead, it is hoped that at some time in the future he will leave Manchester City for Milan.

A more realistic target, it is said, that former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who finds himself in a turbulent period with Marseille in France.

De Zerbi came through Milan’s youth academy as a player while his brand of “spectacular” football is seen as an attraction to the Italian side.

With De Zerbi apparently unsettled at Marseille, he appears a far more viable target than Guardiola, who remains firmly in Manchester, despite City’s ongoing struggles.