Pep Guardiola has agreed a ‘deal in principle’ to remain at Manchester City until 2025, according to reports.
Guardiola, who is coming towards the end of his sixth season in charge of City, only has 14 months to run on his current contract at the Etihad.
Yet according to The Sun, the Spaniard has now agreed to extend his stay in Manchester for another two years after Premier League title rival Jurgen Klopp signed new Liverpool terms on Friday.
Klopp had previously claimed he would walk away from Anfield when his previous deal expired in 2024, only to put pen to paper on a two-year extension of his own amid his side’s unprecedented Quadruple bid.
When asked if the German’s renewal would tempt him to sign a new contract at City, Guardiola said on Friday: ‘No no no, honestly I’m so concerned about the last three weeks of the season I don’t have time.’
However, it is believed he has now given the green light for City chiefs to commit his future until 2025 – which could prove the final piece of the jigsaw in their pursuit of Erling Haaland.
Sportsmail revealed earlier this month that Haaland has agreed personal terms worth a staggering £500,000 per week with City, which would make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.
Though with doubts lingering over Guardiola’s future, the Borussia Dortmund striker has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent weeks.
Haaland, who has scored 85 goals in 87 appearances for Dortmund, is available for just £63million this summer after a release clause was inserted into his contract.
Nevertheless, Guardiola is so enthused by the prospect of working with him, as well as City’s current batch of exciting youngsters, that he is now ready to sign a new three-year deal.
The 51-year-old’s extension should convince Haaland to pick the Premier League champions over Madrid, as uncertainty over his future in Manchester was the forward’s only remaining concern.
He believes joining City will give him a better chance of winning both the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or in the near future, with the former trophy still in their grasp this season.
Guardiola’s men are gearing up for a crucial semi-final second leg against Real Madrid next week, having edged a seven-goal thriller at home to the Spanish club on Tuesday.
They produced the perfect warm-up performance against Leeds this weekend, picking up a 4-0 win at Elland Road to maintain their one-point lead over Liverpool at the Premier League summit.
