Man City remain confident that Pep Guardiola will extend his stay past this season – and insist they were NOT lining up Man United-bound Ruben Amorim as his replacement
- Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of the season and his future is still undecided
- Amorim is now on the verge of being appointed manager of Manchester United
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Manchester City remain hopeful Pep Guardiola will extend his stay at the club – and are confident they have not lined up incoming Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim as a potential replacement.
Amorim, who was due to take over following the sacking of Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford after the club contacted Sporting Lisbon and expressed a willingness to meet his £8.31 million release clause, has been linked with the takeover of Manchester if Guardiola decides to leave at the end of the season.
United chief Omar Berrada – influential in the battle for the Portuguese – joined from City in the summer and is said to have been aware of early contingency plans.
But insiders at the Etihad, where Amorim sporting director Hugo Viana will arrive at the end of the campaign to replace outgoing football director Txiki Begiristain, have insisted Amorim was not on any list.
While they are wary of putting pressure on Guardiola, they would prefer the Catalan extend his trophy-laden stay at the club – a position first reported by Mail Sport in May.
Manchester City remain confident that Pep Guardiola will extend his stay beyond this season
The club has insisted that Ruben Amorim (left), who joins Manchester United, was not an option to take over
Amorim is set to leave Sporting Lisbon to become the new United manager following the sacking of Erik ten Hag
Sources say that even if Guardiola were to leave, they would look for someone whose playing style and tactics are compatible. A lot of thought has gone into Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen.
As announced on Tuesday, Amorim’s contract has a notice period of ‘a number of weeks instead of days’. As such, United were involved in talks on the matter on Tuesday evening.
Ideally, they would want the 39-year-old in place for their clash with Chelsea on Sunday. However, should no agreement be reached, their trip to Ipswich Town on November 24 – after the international break – could see him see Amorim in the United dugout for the first time.