Romano drops Pep bomb! Guardiola's Man City exit a 'concrete possibility'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 21 May 2024 13:11 BST
• 3 min read

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that it is a 'concrete possibility' that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City next summer.

The Spaniard has made history once again. After winning the treble last season, Guardiola's men have defended their Premier League title this term and made it four in a row in the process, a feat never before achieved.

Though Man City were not always the unstoppable force that they showed themselves to be in years prior, especially in 2022/23, the Cityzens eventually hit their stride and pipped Arsenal to the league title once more.

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After lifting the Premier League trophy following a 3-1 win over West Ham on Sunday, Guardiola cast doubt on his long-term Man City future. "The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying," he told Sky Sports. "We have talked with the club - my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years - we will see."

Guardiola's contract expires next summer and Fabrizio Romano has revealed that it is very possible that 2024/25 will be the 53-year-old's final season in Manchester.

Romano on Guardiola

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: "Pep will 100 per cent stay at Man City this upcoming season. So, for the season 24/25, Pep will be there. Pep wants to win the Champions League again, wants to fight for all the titles. Pep is already involved also in the conversation to plan for the summer transfer window."

"For sure, Pep Guardiola will build Man City's squad for the summer. But when it's about the season 25/26, the future of Pep Guardiola is absolutely open. When he says that he's closer to leaving than staying, it means that in reality Pep Guardiola and Man City are not discussing a new contract."

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"At the moment, the situation between Pep and City is really happy, really quiet, but [they're] not discussing beyond 2025. Also, Pep Guardiola's full focus is on next season not [beyond] that, not 25/26 or 26/27. Pep wants to focus on next season and probably in 2025 decide about his future. But there is a concrete possibility to see Pep Guardiola leave Man City in the summer 2025."