“He’s signed up to take over a team in the Champions League”.
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As Manchester City continued to struggle with a fifth home league rout on Sunday, Alan Shearer warned Pep Guardiola that he might be managing a team in the Europa League next season.
Fourth-placed City are just a point clear of West Ham and Manchester United with eight games to go, but their recent form has been appalling.
Since Guardiola’s appointment was announced, City are understood to have been inundated with calls from the agents of players in England, Spain, Italy and Germany, desperate for their clients to play for the Spaniard who is considered the best coach in world football.
“The money they’ve spent, and how they can have an age profile like that, is probably mismanagement, perhaps from above Manuel Pellegrini”.
City sources are supremely confident that Guardiola can succeed where Roberto Mancini and Pellegrini failed, and build a lasting dynasty in east Manchester.
City have dismissed an ultimatum from Toure’s agent to hand him a new three-year deal and believe the 32-year-old can still play a key role under Guardiola next season.
While Guardiola is expected to oversee a significant overhaul of City’s squad this summer, with at least four or five players leaving and the same number arriving, skipper Kompany is not on the outgoings list. They also drew Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, after a monster comeback against Juventus last week.
As previously reported by Goal, City sources believe they will be able to provide the Catalan with an environment in which he can enjoy his football once more after three intense, often combustible years in Bavaria.
Guardiola has already taken Thiago from Barcelona to Bayern in 2013, and The Guardian now reports that the two-time Champions League-winning coach will look to recruit the midfielder once again.
But Guardiola will also be tasked with adding more players from the Etihad Academy into the first team.
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It is hoped that this cordial environment will convince Guardiola to extend his stay at the club, although should he leave at the end of his three-year deal, it is hoped that Patrick Vieira will be in a position to return to the Etihad and take the reigns.
