Pep Guardiola Prefers a Deserved Deal than Compensation Deal
Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola said he needs to “deserve” an extension to his Manchester City contract rather than just be given one. The Spaniard’s current contract will be due at the end of this season and the City hierarchy wants him to stay. The 49-year-old starts his fifth season in charge of Manchester City at Wolves on Monday longer than his spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
According to Pep Guardiola, he said: “I would love to stay longer here.” “It is a place I love to be but I have to deserve it. This club achieved standards in the last decade but we have to maintain that.” Guardiola also said neither chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak nor chief executive Ferran Soriano has spoken to him about the situation.
After last season’s disappointing end in which they finished 18 points behind champions Liverpool in the English Premier League and suffered an unexpected Champions League quarter-final exit to Lyon, who was then easily beaten by Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, there is pressure on Guardiola to improve results. Pep Guardiola said: “They didn’t tell me you have to do this or that, they told me to play.” “But I know the standards of the club and if I don’t achieve the standards, I probably don’t deserve so I have to win to extend my contract.”
Guardiola has already bought two new players in the club he signed Spanish winger Ferran Torres and Dutch centre-back Nathan Ake, who are set to make their debut in the Premier League game at Wolves as Aymeric Laporte has been ruled out because of training he missed following a positive coronavirus test.